Forum Moderators: martinibuster
I've been with Adsense for over a year now and never clicked on my ads. I guess, I am too careful. But, accidents happen; other people accidentally do click on their ads. Whether these accidental clicks get people kicked or not is debate for itself, but Google should honestly loosen up Adsense rules.
Why?
There are websites on the internet that grossly violate Adsense rules by asking visitors to support them by clicking on their ads; other websites use image pointers to ads and other tricks to keep clicks coming. I've reported many of such websites; you have probably done the same. But, they are still in business, even after 3,4,5,6 months after being reported.
To be fair and balanced, Google should only kick publishers who grossly violate Adsense rules (e.g. ask their visitors to click on ads, etc). Small publishers (up to $10,000/month earners) who accidentally and non-intentionally make small mistakes should be first given a warning, and then suspension (but not immediate ban).
I believe that most people are in fact nice people - not crooks. To make mistakes is to be human. How many of you crossed the street without waiting for a proper traffic light? Even Google makes mistakes (as we could see from this latest exchange rate payment screw up). Let a small guy make a better life for himself and his family; if he/she makes small mistake, warn him/her and I guarantee you they will fix the error within 24 hours (and never repepat it again)!
Like you I have never clicked on my own ad, nor I have ever stolen content from another website through any manner.
I have tried to honestly build a business for the long run. I want EVERY website - small or large - booted if they aren't playing by the rules.
Give people one exception, they'll want two.
Of course, there are outright abusers, who regularly click their own ads, or show contextual ads alongside a competitors contextual ads, or other abuses.
Then there are the naive people, like I was in the beginning, and didn't read the TOS, and so went ahead and clicked on a few ads to see if they were working properly. [ Yes, I admit I did it! ]. This in itself is probably not worth a ban, as it was wrong, but was not exactly click fraud!
Then there are those poor people whose competitors click time and again to get them banned.
How about telling friends and family you just put Google ads on your site, as you're excited about it...so they want to help make you some money, so they click on your ads.....uhm, perhaps not a good idea to mention you put Google ads on your site!
The list goes on, so it's not so easy for Google to be Judge and Jury, AND get it right every time. I have found their help desk extremely helpful in the past, and I am sure they will always entertain a response to unfair banning, should it arise.
We all live in fear of Big G hitting the BBB (Big Ban Button). And that's just the way they like it.
Google should loosen up Adsense rules
Screw that crap! They need to get tougher.
Many people see AdSense as a way to make some easy money and most people, especially the ones that don't make a lot, haven't read the TOS or deliberately try to fraud the system. I could be wrong, but that's the general impression I get when I read topics about AdSense on non-webmaster related forums.
I really think it isn't a good idea to loose up the rules. This is business, not charity.
people accidentally do click on their ads
Accidentally clicking on your own ads doesn't (usually?) get you banned. But I do wish Google would just allow us to do so and simply not count the clicks.
Did someone pay you for that click? Then it was click fraud.
Not bothering to read the TOS should be your problem, if you get booted. It shouldn't be the advertisers who might pay for the fraudulent click.
I think people do push tolerance to the limit, and I personally feel that if people are booted then there are probably justifiable reasons. Clearly Google will allow you to appeal, and have been known to reverse the decision. Where they should toughen up is enforcing the TOS in respect of non-content pages and blatant TOS violations that are reported to them.
didn't read the TOS, and so went ahead and clicked on a few adsDid you get banned?
Did someone pay you for that click? Then it was click fraud.
Sometimes it helps to think before posting.
Nobody paid me, as I checked my AdSense reports, and the clicks registered, but no payment was made...otherwise I would have reported it.
It's so easy to jump to conclusions and accusations, but I forgive you this time :-)
Google would just allow us to do so and simply not count the clicksExcellent idea!
By the way, I keep strictly to the TOS since reading them and knowing what is permitted and what is not!
Loosening the AdSense rules would not be a good way to retain the confidence of those customers.
Google's first obligation is to its paying customers: advertisers.
No, it's too its stock holders.
I never wait for a traffic light, they are usually already there.
Businesses survive from income, and improving that income will in turn keep the stockholders happy.
No, it's too its stock holders.
Of course, stock holders come first.
Advertisers and Publishers are EQUALLY important to Google.
By being too tough on Publishers, Google will slowly but steadily lose business. I've seen major partners switch from Google to overture; small publishers are also removing Google ads and experimenting with Yahoo!.
Google should work on retaining publishers, not losing them.
Advertisers and Publishers are EQUALLY important to Google.
A world without publishers: Google making millions through ads in Google Search, Gmail, Google Groups, Google Maps, Google News, Orkut...
A world without advertisers: Google begging for Paypal donations.
Now you know our place in the food chain.
Now you know our place in the food chain.
It seems to me that this topic has been hijacked by Adwords Advertisers. Of course, you don't agree with loosening up rules for Adsense publishers. You must remember this is Adsense forum, not Adwords forum.
I think appropriate place for advertisers is here:
[webmasterworld.com...]
Advertisers and Publishers are EQUALLY important to Google.
Publishers supply ad inventory, but advertisers supply money. Any erosion of the advertiser base would make the ad inventory less valuable to Google and to publishers.
By being too tough on Publishers, Google will slowly but steadily lose business. I've seen major partners switch from Google to overture; small publishers are also removing Google ads and experimenting with Yahoo!.
Large premium publishers such as USA TODAY have been known to switch from Google to Overture (or vice versa), but the reasons have nothing to do with one network being "tougher on publishers" than the other. Sometimes the move occurs because one ad network offers financial incentives, and sometimes it occurs because one network can promise things that the others can't. (Example: Overture's "human editors," who can help categorize ads and content for general-interest newspaper or portal sites that have problems or don't do well with automated targeting and purely contextual advertising.)
As for small publishers, some may have left Google for YPN or Kanoodle or one of the other secondary players, but when they leave of their own volition (as opposed to being banned for invalid clicks or other misbehavior), it's nearly always because they think they can make more money elsewhere. And if that's the case, the loss to Google is minimal because the small publishers who leave for more money are, by and large, the low performers.
Fact is, Google's AdSense revenues continue to grow, so if Google is being "too tough" on publishers, that excessive toughness isn't hurting Google's bottom line.
I think advertisers can post anywhere they like.
This forum is organized by topic, not by what you are...
I believe that most people are in fact nice people - not crooks. To make mistakes is to be human. How many of you crossed the street without waiting for a proper traffic light?
In some locations, this is a traffic violation. You might get a ticket. You might not. The same applies for AdSense. If you do something that they think is harmful to their business, you can be removed from the program.
AdSense is not a right. G is not obligated to let people into the program or keep them. Furthermore, with the heightened concerns about click fraud, they need to be careful with suspicious clicks.
I'm not saying you or anyone else is at fault. It is the nature of the technology. If it were up to me, people would pay fixed fees for ads. Repeated clicks (accidental or not) would not incur extra charges, thus a lot of people's concerns over click fraud would disappear.
The best advice anyone can give here is not to rely on AdSense financially.
[edited by: gregbo at 12:05 am (utc) on April 30, 2006]
It seems to me that this topic has been hijacked by Adwords Advertisers. Of course, you don't agree with loosening up rules for Adsense publishers. You must remember this is Adsense forum, not Adwords forum.
Arguably, any advertisers on AdSense pages should be concerned with the actions of AdSense publishers. IMO, they have a right to express their concerns here.
40% AdSense
60% YPN
3K each per month each and I am a happy camper, just concentrating on driving more traffic now and not living in fear like some people.
If one tanks me, I flip to the other.
If I could find a third context player equally as potent I would split it three ways. It also dithers the ad selection for the users.
I think Google should get much tougher and drive out the MFAs or as more players enter the market their share will be diluded.
Accidentally clicking on your own ads doesn't (usually?) get you banned. But I do wish Google would just allow us to do so and simply not count the clicks.
If you're not using a computer that's tied to your AdSense account via a login or registered IP or something like that, they can't tell the difference between you and any other Internet user (unless you tell them you clicked).
It seems to me that this topic has been hijacked by Adwords Advertisers. Of course, you don't agree with loosening up rules for Adsense publishers. You must remember this is Adsense forum, not Adwords forum.
If you are talking about me it is complete nonsense. I´m a publisher and never was an advertiser.
I´m a publisher, maybe a realistic one, but only a publisher.
BTW, I am a publisher.
