Does google use AdWord conversion data for AdSense fraud detection?

Seems reasonable..

[logiclamp]

Since google already has some conversion data due to their built in conversion data program, they could use the information from that to detect AdSense fraud.

For example, if newbiealarmclocks.com signs up and after the first 1000 clicks for "alarm clocks" they only have a 1$ conversion, whereas via AdWords its a 50$ (aggregate) conversion for 1000 clicks and the average for AdSense publishers is that it is about 30$ (aggregate)conversion, then they can be pretty sure that newbiealarmclocks.com is doing something fishy and is due for a 'google review'.

Advice to Google - adjust your privacy policy and drop the image tracking requirement so that you can get more people participating and more accurate conversion data for better fraud detection.

[justageek]

There are at least two other companies that have this capability and it works quite well.

It's not as simple as this though. There may be other factors that influence whether or not the clicks were fraud.

One site that carries an ad for something may have the type of people that can afford to buy whatever is being offered and another site might not. Were the clicks fraud? Can't really say that for sure.

Just because one site can send traffic to say a Porsche dealer and the dealer can make a sale from it and another site can send traffic that does a curiosity click because they can not afford to buy a Porsche, the dealer can never get a sale but it doesn't mean there was fraud. It does howeever mean that the ad should not be shown on the site that cannot generate a sale. That's the key.

JAG

[europeforvisitors]

Just because one site can send traffic to say a Porsche dealer and the dealer can make a sale from it and another site can send traffic that does a curiosity click because they can not afford to buy a Porsche, the dealer can never get a sale but it doesn't mean there was fraud. It does howeever mean that the ad should not be shown on the site that cannot generate a sale. That's the key.

That's why the right niche sites are more valuable than general-interest sites for products or services that don't appeal to the mass market. (If this weren't true, special-interest and trade magazines wouldn't exist.) The challenge for Google is how to ensure that advertisers reach those niche audiences while avoiding the "curiosity seekers" on inappropriate or less relevant sites.

[logiclamp]

Yes, Google doesn't have to automatically deny sites. They can just use conversion data as a flag for review.

Also, the Google adsense engine should be smart enough to place ads on places where they're not just going to get looky loos.