Forum Moderators: martinibuster
Some time ago I decided to set up a site sharing some of the expertise I've been gaining throughout the years in a very specific craft. However, the project was postponed and was nearly never put into practice, mainly because of mine incompetence in html and all things related.
But when I learned about the AdSense program, dollar signs blinked in my eyes and I decided to start learning and working. I confess (a bit shamefully) that it was the prospect of making money that gave me the decisive incentive to build the site.
So I coded the pages, and it's online for a week now. It has a fair amount of content, and I'm publishing new stuff everyday. I submitted it to the major directories and proposed some link exchanges with neighbouring sites, with results yet to be seen (as natural, as it's way too soon to have a decent pagerank, I think...).
I added a promotional link to my signature in some subject related forums that I post on. This caused some visitors to come since day one. Lots of visitors, many more than I expected.
The ad targeting is great, as the ads link to sites with similar content. I feel I'm feeding them high quality traffic. So my revenue is increasing steadly, also much more than I expected.
And, most important, I'm having fun promoting my site and my work.
Which leads to the point of this post. I've read too many people here receiving account termination emails from Google for no apparent reason, as they all claim their innocence. I'm just getting paranoid that it may happen to me and blow all the fun out.
Of course I don't click the ads. But I'm even afraid of opening my own pages! I know some people that would be interested in the site, but I can't tell them about it because of the frightening possibility of them clicking the ads. Not even my familiy knows what I've been wasting my time on recently. As I'm not very knowledgeable about what goes on the backstage of the net, I have the feeling that Google knows everything about me and is following all my steps. I can't walk on the street without turning back once in a while to see if there's a californian in a suit watching me.
Most important, I'm afraid of over promoting my site, earning too much, and have Google thinking I did something not legitimate. I've already read the TOS several times, like it was the bible. I want to keep having fun developing my site.
So, to end all this crap, I know you're not my shrinks, but please, experienced-guys-who-know-everything-about-this, please, tell me that people don't get kicked out of the program unless they do something wrong! Thank you.
PS. I noticed that some people here are not too forgiving about bad english. I'm exactly as protective and elitist about my mother language (beautiful old portuguese, by the way). But my english is actually limited, so sorry about it.
And clausroxin, I didn't even know English was not your native language as I read your post. I wish I knew any other language as well as you know English.
You have to remember that you are going to see a large number of posts from people who have been banned because when people are banned, they look around for answers (even when they already have the answers sometimes).
Since this forum ranks pretty high in Google when you search for information about Google Adsense, you will see a lot of new posters that have just found this forum after getting kicked out of the program.
I haven't seen any evidence yet that suggests that Google kicks publisher's out for no reason. They may not always clarify the reason, but I think there's something behind the corrolation that the majority of people posting "kicked out" threads are new to the forum.
I'd love to see GoogleGuy address this
GoogleGuy doesn't really work in the Adsense department or post in the Adsense forums (I think he's more of a "search" guy).
There is an adsense representive that sometimes posts to the forums under the username AdsenseAdvisor, and it seems that they sometimes pass the feedback back to the Adsense team. However, there are some questions that even AdsenseAdvisor won't be able to address publically (who knows though, AA might pop in tomorrow and give a full update on the phenomenon).
There was a very recent "I've been banned for no reason" thread where it was proven that the guy was actually asking people to click the ads to make him money. I expect this is the usual pattern. If you do a web search for "please click the ads" + google you will see the extent of the problem. Honest webmasters don't figure on the radar!
I've accidentally clicked on my own ads on two occasions through pure slips of the mouse. On both occasions I emailed G straight away to inform them, and on both occasions I got a reply thanking me for telling them, and reminding me of the TOS. I'm still here, and still making money.
If the worst does come to the worst there are a whole host of alternatives. Many of which have been discussed on this part of the board and on other parts, or indeed other boards. The major players (yahoo/msn) also appear to be starting to develop similar products so don't rely on adsense but don't let the worry keep you awake at night! Good luck
They're a big company that wants to make profit. If you can make some money too, great. But if not, be prepared to move on.
I'm afraid of over promoting my site, earning too much
Contrary to popular belief earning a lot may actually protect you from the dreaded email. I wouldn't be worried about earning too much. The more you earn the more Google earns from your account. If, as you say, you are playing clean there is nothing to worry about.
The more you earn the more Google earns from your account.
True enough. For every cent that I earn, many many more go to both Google and advertisers, I think.
Anyway, thanks for all of your comments.
1. websites which do not serve a central theme
2. do not have enough impressions or earnings and create a lot of curiosity clicks.
3. copyright content violation.
4. general audience. the age-group.
5. where exactly you are getting the majority of your traffic from.. which search engines? marketing campaigns?
That is what I feel. A question however keeps coming to my mind. How do you define an invalid click? The system is very dicy: Anyone can probably point a bot at your adsense and get you bumped off. I definitely hope Google has countered this. [something tells me that they have... considering it's one of the first things to block.]
Still I wonder if Google can/should improve the click crediting system and probably add a warning system to warn publishers of invalid clicks and just discrediting those clicks from their earnings and let them work with their websites. But I am sure Google does consider the publisher's history. Remember.. Google probably knows more about you than you think.:-) there was an article here some time back.
And seriously clausroxin, if you have a good website with good original content you shouldn't worry about termination and all.. Come to think of it... life gets terminated too someday :-). Keep up your spirits and do your best.
Best of luck.
"Invalid clicks" is a blanket term used by google to mean clicks obtained through violation(s) of the adsense terms of service. An example would be requesting that people support your site.
The author of an article in one of the large tech sites (PC Magazine, I think) had her saying that on her site she had increased her adsense earnings by putting a statement like "Supporters Know to Click Three Times".
It wasn't hard to find her site (Googled her name) and there it was, "Supporters Know to Click Three Times", as big as life.
About a week later, I went back to the site. No more Adsense.
I have seen a number of sites owned by people who claim to have been kicked out "for no reason". Every one of the 16 or so sites I've seen by these posters was violating the Adsense TOS severely [webmasterworld.com].
Just publish your content, and relax.
That is what I feel. A question however keeps coming to my mind. How do you define an invalid click? The system is very dicy: Anyone can probably point a bot at your adsense and get you bumped off. I definitely hope Google has countered this. [something tells me that they have... considering it's one of the first things to block.]
How? Assuming one single thing: That the clicker does not use an IP address known to be associated with a competitor, how can Google make this distinction? I see no way tgo do it reliably, and that is pretty worrisome.
