As an AdWords advertizer I understand the desire to curb click fraud. I don't want to pay for fraud and it's a no-brainer that nobody else does.
I feel that AdWords advertizers are very very reluctant to allow ads to be served on Google's content opetion (which includes AdSense). And I suspect it is due to a slightly different policy with AdSense that IMO needs to be rectified.
Despite absolving me of complicity in any click fraud my account was cancelled yesterday because fraudulent clicks reportedly were generated from my site.
Lack of culpability in the matter is a bone stuck in my throat. After all if I had done nothing untoward and had no control (or even knowledge) of the 'fraudulent clicks' I could both do nothing to prevent fraudulent clicks for the advertzers nor could I prevent my site from being banned.
What this represents is a gaping hole in the AdSense program and this effects the AdWords advertizers.
If the AdSense program is not giving webmasters the tools they need to fight fraudulent clicks or not filtering them then the AdWords advertizer suffers.
AdSense seems to ahve taken the approach that they will filter a bit, and simply cancell an account without warning if they determine a pattern of abuse. And it does not have to have the site ownser's complicity.
To me this spells a grave danger. A click happy visitor can spell doom for a webmaster's revenue, but far worse is the realization that any miscreant has the keys to both the AdSense publisher and the AdWords advertiser's wallets.
Let me explain. First of all any AdWords advertizer is accutely aware of the sabotage by competitors who click on ads to hurt the wallet of their AdWords competitor. On Google SERPS they seem to do an excellent job of filtering them but with AdSense they take the filter but ban approach.
What this does is open the AdWords and AdSense users to a whole new level of abuse.
If you think making your competitor pay for a click (that will be filtered when it's identified as a fraud) is enough motivation for fraudulent clicks imagine what motivation the ability to kill a site's revenue will be.
Last night, when I was told my AdSense account was cancelled and was told that it was not diue to actions on my part I realized that this is the key to sabotage.
Besides being tremendously unfair to AdSense webmasters (who already live under fear of Google pulling out the rug) this represents a danger for AdWords advertizers as well.
The policy of cancelling an AdSense account for fraudulent clicks makes sense. Expecially for sites that are complicit in fraud. But for the site that toes the line and follows every rule the banning of their account represents a gaping hole in AdSense policy.
Namely that AdSense is using a short term solution at the risk of developing long term problems.
When the miscreats start to discover that they can kill a site's revenue by making adSense ban the site they will generate clicks. And ultimately the AdWords advertizer will pay.
AdSense clicks should simply better filter the fraud instead of dangling teh carrot of killing a competitor in fron of the low lifes.
On my site I was not aware of any "fraudulent clicks". I was never told that a user had generated any till my account was canceled.
While some might think this is a proactive approach it is not. It's akin to killing a patient because of a symptom.
I am not talking about fraudulent webmasters, I am talking about honest webmasters who run honest sites and who can see their livelihood vanish because of teh actions of others.
Because this is possible this empowers the miscreants and saboteurs. They have the power to wreak havok because Google would rather ban an innocent than correctly address the problem.
In my short run as an AsSense advertizer I worked very hard to make it work for both AdWords advertizers and for all involved. My site is a very well moderated and intellectual forum that has much of the niche content that makes AdSense such a powerful vehicle for advertizers.
But some saboteur or click happy visitor managed to kill all my efforts with little effort of his/her own.
This spells danger for the future. I would have acted against this fraudster if I had been notified. I would have urged AdSense to filter all that IP's clicks. Heck they could filter the whole ISP if they want.
The level of dedication I had for AdSense was such that I'd not have minded if a whole netblock was banned just to keep the service.
But without warning or recourse my account was banned and herin lies the problem.
Besides instilling the fear (very justifies) of commiting a site to AdSense this opens up a hole that hurts AdWords users.
As an AdSense publisher I want Google to err on teh side of caution with click fraud. Instead they err on the side of cauton by removing my lifeblood and thereby motivating anyone who wants to do this to others.
They also deprive themselves of a tool in this fight: the honest webmaster.
Like I said, I'd have accepted 50% less money only to ensure that the actions of others would not kill my revenue.
Instead not even the knowledge of fraud occuring on my site was made available to me and Google chose only to address this in the arbitrary manner of banning my site.
My site's content is denied to AdWords advertizers, which is no big deal. But what IS, in fact, a big deal is that by putting the power to maintain an honest site out of the hands of the webmasters and by not filtering clicks Google is shooting themselves in the foot and hurting themselves in the long term.
I petition taht Google simply filter more stridently.
I'd have preferred that half my AdSense revenue were not counted than to enable anyone with a mouse to hurt my site.
But since this power is granted, anyone with a mouse is a threat to webmaster revenue and AdWords advertizers.
Google needs to change this. AdSense webmasters live in fear, and ultimately most of us would prefer that the criteria for a valid click were raised so as not to live under the fear of arbitrary banning.
Doing so would help AdWords advertizers as well. They'd even be getting some free honest clicks.
What say you? Do you advertize on the AdWords "content" option? Why or why not?
[edited by: Shak at 7:48 pm (utc) on Sep. 16, 2003]
[edit reason] NO specifics please [/edit]
great post and very detailed aswell.
part of me says that you are just crying over spilt milk.
but I see exactly what you mean, and can only reply by saying: I know NOT 1 single PPC bid manager who is opting to SHOW their ads on content sites "adsense"
from an advertisers point of view, as long as correct tracking and ROI tools are used, then its very easy to work out ANY fraud taking place.
good luck with your quest to being re-instated.
Shak
I believe what you edited was my <snip> that there are people out there already trying to get accounts cancelled by fraudulent clicks.
Is it ok to metion that I did search for information on this and found it within seconds? I am simply trying to reify the threat. I found that it exists.
Without giving specifics am I allowed to confirm that I have found webmasters talking about sabotage through clicking on AdSense ads?
[edited by: Shak at 8:06 pm (utc) on Sep. 16, 2003]
[edit reason] No specifics again, sorry mate. [/edit]
Without giving specifics am I allowed to confirm that I have found webmasters talking about sabotage through clicking on AdSense ads?
Would rather we didnt share how or where this information was obtained.
The Internet is always going to lead to discussions of 1 sort or another, thats just the way it is.
A few typical examples include:
How do I buy pagerank
How do I increase CTR on Adsense.
How do I cloak.
There are always going to be these problems I am afraid.
Shak
So even though it may not be viable for some advertisers thus far, its a market that is still maturing, and given the kind of behavior Google has displayed in these sorts of actions, there is plenty of maturing to be done on their part.
For advertisers who have opted into AdSense, this is clearly a crucial issue. Of course fraudulent clicks must be filtered, and publishers who are intent to defraud both Google and the advertiser should be dealt with...but for publishers who have instead fallen victim to fraudulent clicks, is the best response to simply close their account and leave them high and dry?
Advertisers are losing a potential market and potential sales. Publishers, both Google and the webmaster, are losing a revenue stream. Competing publishers (who may have been the source of fradulent clicks) may begin to receive a disproportionate number of impressions, reducing exposure and narrowing the market for advertiser. Nobody is winning this one, except those who initiated the fraud. As cdkrg put it, does Google want to empower the saboteurs in this manner?
Only time will tell, and YES, I absolutely agree that content based advertising is here to stay.
Shak
Just like SERPs & spam, this is yet again another example of Google taking shortcuts so they don't have to answer the tough, ethical questions of whether they're being manipulated and what they should do about it.
Unfortunately, it seems they can get away with it as long as they keep growing and don't have any real competition. Rest assured, this sort of behavior will reflect on quality when MSN finally decides to enter the SE/PPC market on its own and Yahoo/Overture/Ink/FAST/etc. get their act together.
Voila. Transparency. Click fraud then becomes an issue for the advertiser to investigate. Not the SE.
