It definitely sucks but it is what it is with the big G. I lost my Local Guide account which I had over 100 reviews and thousands of questions answered about places on Google Maps, all because they said it was spam I was making. But it was because instead of publishing at the location I would do a few at once at home or something.
I think you can make Affiliate marketing work, especially if you were able to generate that sort of Adsense income in that period there are people coming, just need to work out what they want to connect them.