April 10 marked the launch of AffiliateExchange.org, a free-access ad exchange program for websites in all niches.
The network delivers targeted advertisements similar to those of Google AdSense or Yahoo! Publisher, but without delineating between advertisers and publishers. Each participating website helps bring traffic into the network, and receives approximately the same amount in return.
Unlike most advertising agencies, the Affiliate Exchange operates without charging a service commission. The project aims to provide a lasting solution to replace profit-driven models with a more user-oriented program.
The program also hopes to attract webmasters with its search engine friendly infrastructure. Affiliate links pass through a central server which keeps track of click-throughs, but the server returns 301 redirects so that page ranking algorithms treat it as direct linking (as opposed to many sites linking to the central server).
Any website is free to participate, so long as it complies with the program policies. Websites are matched according to a category tree in which site owners rank categories at their own discretion. The software tweaks its pairing algorithm with each impression, using click-through statistics as feedback to create an automated learning process.
As an extra bonus, participants are awarded credits which can be cashed in for items at the online shop. Items include in-house design services and MRR-licensed databases, among other goods.
The concept of mutual banner exchange is not new, but the Affiliate Exchange gives it a new spin with automatic and targeted ad rotation. The project hopes to rekindle the old enterprise with its neoteric features and propitious aspirations.
The program was developed primarily by Daniel Lubarov, a computer science oriented student from Mountain View, California. Daniel will be attending Harvey Mudd College in the fall.
More information is available on the AffiliateExchange.org website, in particular the FAQ and other info pages.
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