Google today announced they are changing their referal payout system and some big publishers really feel its a slap in the face.

Here are the 2 key points:

If you’re in North America, Latin America, or Japan, the pricing structure for AdSense referrals is changing.

What does it mean? Basically that you are going to make less money… a lot less money. Ill sumerize it for you. The current payment structure you get $5 who makes $5 (in 180 days). You get $250 for referring someone who makes $100 (in 180 days) and if you refer 25 people who make $100 within 180 days you get a BONUS PAYMENT of $2000 WOOT.

What is it going to? Well its going back to the old you only get $100 if you refer $100.

So why does this suck? Well I am guessing 80% or more of the people refered make less then $100 in 180 days. This means you get BUTKUS:

OK so I hear you foreigners… This doesnt effect you right… Well technically right this rule does not apply to you. Ohh but Adsense has something for you.

If you’re outside of North America, Latin America, and Japan, AdSense referrals will be retired.

They are terminating your referral program completely…. thats right… If you are not in the Americas, or Japan… your done.

From Australian based Darren Rowse AKA Problogger:

Yes you hear me right, its about the location of you as a publisher that excludes you from participating in the AdSense referral system. It’s got nothing to do with your audience’s location, the topic you write about, the quality of your blog or any other factor – it’s about where you blog from.

I’m not privy to the reasoning for this – they simply say ‘We’ve found that this referral product has not performed as well as we had hoped in these regions’ – but in my mind this is stupidity to the ultimate degree.

Hey Indians, Australians, Germans, Brits

What did the five fingers say to the face?

Google Adsense = Rick James