Check each affiliate's TOS on using keyword links.
Also- I learned an important lesson yesterday.
Be sure your account has Search Marketing enabled, and you ONLY use Keyword Links to direct your traffic from MSN.
Not all affiliates offer them.

[edited by: Heartlander at 6:58 pm (utc) on Dec. 9, 2006]

Be sure you use the part of the URL that includes your PID, and also the latter part that uses the destination URL at the vendor's.

It might be better to *not* encrypt once, to verify you're getting both of those elements.

-- Mike

Heartlander: There is nothing in their terms of service that I can find that mentions ppc. I see this merchant also runs MSN ads but maybe they didn't think to address this issue. I looked in my welcome email and on the page where you read about the merchant and get the links. If I do not see anything, am I safe to assume it will be ok? Their "keyword link" in the get links section is not active.

I also have another cj merchant that I want to use and they do mention ppc rules only to not use their name but encourages you to bid on their item names. Their "keyword link" section is active and I just tried it. Thanks for the heads up on the enabled search marketing. I went through the steps and it gave me a long link. I put it in my browser and it took me to the home page. I guess we put this long link as our url destination. Right? This is my first time trying the keyword link at CJ. I don't really get how it works. If you change the keyword does it take you to a different page on the merchant's site? It ends in =Keywords%3A+(the word for the merchants type of item) Does it only take you to the home page?

You also mention "ONLY use keyword links to direct traffic from MSN" Couldn't you use the email link like in my original question especially for those merchants who do not have PPC rules?

Mikeog: after I encrypted and used that link...it did go to the correct landing page and I saw the hits in my stats the next day so I would think my pid got in ok, right?

A big thanks to both of you for taking the time to reply!

If you are using MSN as a means to redirect traffic to an affiliate landing page, you need to use ONLY those links specified as "Keyword Link".
I found specific wording in CJ's FAQ page on this.
Go to your Home page, scroll down to the jumpbox with your advertisers listed.
Clicking on them from there will bring up the page you need to see for a Keyword Link.
Otherwise you are just scrolling through pages of banners and text links.
Seriously, you need to read each and every word for each and every affiliate or you may not get paid...but you will still pay for the clicks. Do not take this lightly- you will get burned.
One of them selling widgets of the lobster variety has a regular "War and Peace" length TOS to sort through for SEM, so there must be many more setting forth very strict protocol.

As for your display URL, merchants are specific about that as well, so get reading.
Unfortunately, most times we are stuck with an ugly URL that may cause people not to click.
Maybe someone can help in this regard?

As it is, CJ's UI is about as incomprehensible as they come.
Almost as bad as adCenter.
Put the 2 together, and it's a long bumpy ride trying to do anything.

[edited by: Heartlander at 1:38 pm (utc) on Dec. 10, 2006]