Forum Moderators: martinibuster
I will of course not click on any of the ads showing.
I am sorry but I don't understand your question.
Link-units are in fact ads, aren't they?
Ad-units are the actual ads.
At least this is my understanding :\
true, I think i'll send them a mail ;)
The Google definition information can be found here:
[google.com...]
Chapman
Am I allowed to click on the linkunits to get my browser to show the ads.
If you are referring to AdLinks, yes, no problem, just don't click on any of the ads displayed.
I know what you mean, but to clarify this a bit:
Section 5 of the Adsense Terms ans Conditions:
"Prohibited Uses. You shall not, and shall not authorize or encourage any third party to: (i) directly or indirectly generate queries, Referral Events, or impressions of or clicks on any Ad, Link, Search Result, or Referral Button through any automated, deceptive, fraudulent or other invalid means, including but not limited to through repeated manual clicks"
If I cut out everything we don't need, it spells:
"Prohibited Uses. You shall not (...) generate (...) clicks on any (...) Link (...)
through repeated manual clicks"
Edited...
I just read the previous posters and saw the Google explanation stating:
"AdSense publishers are permitted to click on link unit topics on their web pages, provided that they do not click on any Google ads on the resulting page."
So I guess that's your answer. However, it is weird that the TOS seem to prohibit that you click on the link-units...
humblestart:
I know, I read it too!
Very strange.
I think G does it to confuse the adsensers.
Maybe they in some sick way likes the control..
Ruling over everybody else.
First they say it's ok, next they hurry of to close your account, referring to another set of rules as soon as you did what they first said was ok. ;)
I wish I could close google for a day or two, just to see how they like that ;)
nah, just kidding...
But seriosly, I think it's wierd that they have such power.. everybody is afraid of waking up some day and find a "closed-sign" in front of their account.
everybody is afraid of waking up some day and find a "closed-sign" in front of their account.
Not everybody :-)
I have no fears of that whatsoever. If AdSense decides to ban me, then it would not be for any valid reason, but then I don't expect them to ban me, so I don't worry.
If perchance they did, then I would not want to be associated anyway with a company that bans honest people. However, as I said before, AdSense is respected, and respects, so why worry?
An AdLink, maximum one per page, opens up a new page with ads thereon...do not click those displayed ads!
An ad Unit, maximum three per page, is normally the one with "Ads by Goooooogle" which take the visitor direct to the advertiser's site...do not click, period!
Link-units are in fact ads, aren't they?
"Prohibited Uses. You shall not, and shall not authorize or encourage any third party to: (i) directly or indirectly generate queries, Referral Events, or impressions of or clicks on any Ad, Link, Search Result, or Referral Button through any automated, deceptive, fraudulent or other invalid means, including but not limited to through repeated manual clicks".......However, it is weird that the TOS seem to prohibit that you click on the link-units...
In the first part of the quote Google mentions you are not allowed to click ad-links:
You shall not, and shall not authorize or encourage any third party to: (i) directly or indirectly generate queries, Referral Events, or impressions of or clicks on any Ad, Link, Search Result, or Referral Button
In short: You shall not click any link.
And then they specifiy this by saying those clicks (on for example ad-links) should not be invalid:
through any automated, deceptive, fraudulent or other invalid means
So valid clicks on links are allowed, but invalid clicks are not. But then what determines if clicks are invalid? In the last part of the quote they explain what they consider to be invalid by giving an example:
including but not limited to through repeated manual clicks
So combining these 3 quotes means you are not allowed to repeatedly click on ad-links.
If any of you has an other way of explaining these quotes I would be very interested in how you see this.
Now, the other Google quote saying you are allowed to click ad-links is also very clear but means the exact opposite.
So, I see some reason for confusion...
I've clicked on link units--but not the second-page ads--on numerous occasions since they were first introduced about a year ago. No bans, no warnings, no problem.
[webmasterworld.com...]
This is the actual posting:
Hi there!1. Yes, you can click on the link unit topic without generating invalid clicks to your account. As you know, please don't click on the actual ads themselves. (http://www.google.com/support/adsense/bin/answer.py?answer=18375)
2. No, at this time it's not possible to filter link units by topic or category. However, individual advertisers added to your competitive filter list won't show through link units either. (http://www.google.com/support/adsense/bin/answer.py?answer=15946)
Hope that helps!
-asa
If this is the case the answer is yes. However be aware that your impression # will go up hence your ctr will fall.
I know the ASA statement, and as I said it is perfectly clear. ASA says we are allowed to click the link-units. But don't you agree the TOS is at least a bit confusing on this subject?
(As I point out in msg 14)
The TOS reference to 'link' is different to an 'ad-link'.
A link appears underneath ads in some formats. Clicking on those links is prohibited by the TOS because it has the same effect as clicking on the ad.
An ad-link is different, appears on its own (not under an ad) and doesn't cost any advertisers money.
The TOS are not confusing if you realise that link and ad-link are two different things.
We all assume that ASA is actually an employee of google rather than some clever 13 year old sitting at his PC
I thought all the Google staff were actually clever 13 year olds...
