Forum Moderators: martinibuster
The problem is, the search code they provide has some very annoying flaws:
1. Doesn't fit the layout on many sites.
2. Google search automatically selected instead of site search, which is completely the wrong way round. Most users expect a search box on my site to actually search my site.
3. The label for the site search is www.widget.com instead of Widget, which helps mess up the layout even more and looks pretty ugly.
4. The label of the search button, "Google Search", makes some users think it's NOT a site search service, but just a general web search link.
So here's the dilemma: in order to make the search service look good and work well on my site, I have to alter the code, but if I alter the code there's a risk that Google will throw me out of Adsense. I can't afford that to happen as there are no other pay-per-click advertising services for small sites in Europe. (And before anyone suggests them, affiliate links just don't work on my site, I've tried them for years and they generate hardly any money at all.)
What should I do?
How strictly does Google police the layout of adsense search boxes? Have they ever thrown anyone out purely for altering the search box layout?
What's crazy is that Google and me are supposed to be on the same side, we both benefit from people using that search box, but they're putting obstacles in the way of me making the search box attractive to my users.
I might be able to use it if they would allow us to stack the "Web" and "My Site" buttons on top of each other. Alternately, being able to use MySitesName without the "www" and ".com", being a able to use a nick name for my site, or the option to use a simple "This Site" search button might work. As it is now, I'd have to put it in the top of my pages, where it would look ugly with my design, or at the bottom, where no one would see it.
I agree with all the problems you've mentioned and will add one more. I'd like to be able to adjust the color of the text to suit my site, too. As it is now, the only options are black or white.
As for altering the code, I've tried a few things but, in the end, decided to not tempt fate. I'm waiting for Google to offer more options.
All that being said, I did a search and came up with this from June 07. Might be a solution for you, although it's not quite what I'm looking for.
[edited by: Forest_Dweller at 2:23 pm (utc) on Aug. 8, 2007]
What should I do?
Use the product the way you're supposed to (whether you like it or not) or don't use it at all. IMHO, it would be foolish to violate the AdSense program policies in the hope that Google would't notice or care.
I have a site about Blue Widgetery. If I type in the name of a commonly used tool to make Blue Widgets without the word "Blue" in front of it, the ads are all for Red Widget tools. If you click on any "refined term" that I've carefully added, the ads come up for Red Widget tools again. It's like it can't let go of the first search term entered. In fact, the first term does remain in the search box with the new term appended to it, and that's probably the problem. The search results are good in all cases.
It's frustrating.
I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.
Are you saying we should just unquestioningly accept everything that Google says, literally, word-for-word, sort of like a religious fundamentalist?
It's foolish of Google to insist on having www.widget.com instead of Widget, but I'm not sure how much they DO insist on that. If they've never ever busted anyone for reformatting the search box, then maybe they don't actually mind such reformatting.
I don't see how Google suffers in the slightest if someone reformats the search box, so where's the logic in them punishing anyone for it?
There's logic in punishing click fraud, there's logic in punishing MFA sites, but where's the logic in punishing a well-designed search box?
Are you saying we should just unquestioningly accept everything that Google says, literally, word-for-word, sort of like a religious fundamentalist?
No.
Hell no!
Stand up for your right to break TOS!
You go guy!
I did that. They shot me down. Oh well...
...where's the logic in punishing a well-designed search box?
Maybe they're afraid of a little competition. Maybe they think you'll put them out of business.
ROTFLMAO AMOJ *
OK, seriously. Here's the page where they say you can't alter their search code:
[google.com...]
They list specific examples of altering the search code:
Publishers may not:
- Pre-populate the AdSense for search box
- Create links to Google AdSense for search results
- Frame Google AdSense for search results
- Remove or alter the Google logo
All are good reasons to have the policy. Maybe they don't care if you change the layout to better fit your site. (Or maybe they do, who knows). Maybe their policy is in place as a catch all in case there's some sort of manipulation they hadn't considered.
But what it comes down to... is it worth taking the chance? If you want to find out for sure, then write to them! They will respond within a couple of days. A few days ago I had a question about the TOS and they clarified it for me in a reasonable amount of time.
* AMOJ = "at my own joke."
--Publishers may not:
- Pre-populate the AdSense for search box
- Create links to Google AdSense for search results
- Frame Google AdSense for search results
- Remove or alter the Google logo--
None of which forbids moving the radio button, altering www.widget.com to Widget or altering the layout of the search box, which is pretty much everything I wanted to do...
However, I think I've found the solution to these problems, I'm switching to the Google Custom Search Engine instead. They have a much better search box (it has no radio buttons at all, and uses your site's real name instead of URL) and accepts Adsense adverts too.
--Hell no! Stand up for your right to break TOS! --
I wasn't saying that, I was just trying to clarify what the TOS are, exactly, and why. As the example above shows, Google are sending out mixed messages. Some larger sites with Adsense For Search have very customised search boxes, and I don't know if that's part of some special deal for large sites or just those sites being told by Google that the rules aren't as strict as some think.
Google are sending out mixed messages...
