OK to have a page with nothing but ads?

Category links on major website leads to nothing but ads.

[HughMungus]

I'm pretty sure this is not supposed to be happening but I just found a major website that you would all know that has category links on one page that all lead to a page of Adsense ads for that category (and, of course, nothing else -- all other navigation away from the page disappears once you're on the Adsense page).

This appears to violate two rules:

"No Google ad may be placed on any non-content-based pages."

and

"No Google ad may be placed on pages published specifically for the purpose of showing ads, whether or not the page content is relevant."

So how is this allowed? Surely this major website gets closer scrutiny from Adsense than normal. If so, why is this allowed (you'd think Google would want the major publishers setting a good example). Can I do this on my website? Should I report it?

[wyweb]

I think the big guys get to cut their own deals... I'd sure be trying to if I was big.

[Jon_King]

I have complained directly to AdSense and Adwords and Google Search when I found my own company ads in such a situation. Make known your perspective - it's all that can be done.

[jomaxx]

Don't those related link units do essentially the same thing?

[Rodney]

or this could be a domainpark page

[hunderdown]

jomaxx, AdLinks pages don't disable the back button....

[Jon_King]

I don't consider them the same.

One is Google advertising marked clearly as such. The other a sort of ring-around-the-rosy ad page entrapment.

One page of ads leads to another page of ads without sufficient content. A ad link trap. Bogus, by way of thinking, as far as ROI on my ad spend.

[dzcap]

Premium publishers get PREMIUM benefits, don't like it? Aim for premium!

[jomaxx]

That would be slimy, but who said the back button was disabled?

[HughMungus]

Don't those related link units do essentially the same thing?

Yes, but, those are clearly labelled as being "Ads by Google" while on this big page they are not. They just say, "X Offers" with text links to the subcategories of "X". I guess we can add "Calling attention to the ads" to the TOS violations...

[HughMungus]

AdLinks pages don't disable the back button....

No, nothing that bad. It's just that on the page you click FROM there is a great deal of navigation, other links, etc. On the landing page with just ads on it, it's JUST ads with no other links to anything else.

[HughMungus]

Premium publishers get PREMIUM benefits

So, in other words, if I make enough money for Google, I can violate the program policies that are put in place to protect advertisers?

[Rodney]

So, in other words, if I make enough money for Google, I can violate the program policies that are put in place to protect advertisers?

I think there are different terms for Premium Publishers that take into the account that they have a premium level of content and traffic.

As I mentioned, the page you landed on could have been a domainpark page as well, which has a totally different TOS.

[jomaxx]

The user has to click twice in order to generate any cost to the advertiser, so IMO this traffic is reasonably well targeted and there's nothing contrary to the interests of advertisers in this.

However it would make some difference whether the categories were relevant, general-interest (e.g. iPods), or irrelevant (e.g. mesothelioma).

[dzcap]

Premium publishers adhere to a different, less strict set of TOS. They can even negotiate payouts and have their own account manager. Google protects advertisers and PREMIUM publishers. So yes, they can essentially break the TOS and get way with it!