"Google AdSense: Referral Policy Reminder"

Anyone else get this e-mail?

[Leva]

I've had significant issues with other sites using my site's URL as the display URL and having a different destination URL for the purpose of generating referrals. I got an e-mail from Google today reminding me that you can't use advertising to generation conversations.

Was this a blanket e-mail that was sent out or did someone at the 'plex see these very prominent ads with my URL on them and not realize the destination URL was different?

-- Leva

[tim222]

I didn't receive a message like that. Did they send it to you as an AdSense publisher, or as an AdWords advertiser?

[webdudek]

I got an email explaining that I can not use online advertising to purchase traffic for the specific and sole purpose of generating conversions.
I was wondering if it's something that I did or others got the same email.

[ann]

Isn't generating conversions the main purpose of advertising..scratching head..or am I missing something about advertising?

[tim222]

Isn't generating conversions the main purpose of advertising..scratching head..or am I missing something about advertising?

I think what Google is saying is that you can't advertise a page which leads visitors to a referral link. Kind of like arbitrage for referrals.

[surftrack]

i got it too

[farmboy]

...arbitrage for referrals.

Other people are free to try whatever they want as long as they are willing to face the consequences.

But considering the pre-June 1st threads about Google closing some arbitrage-related accounts, I can't understand why anyone would want to try poking the bear in the other eye.

FarmBoy

[tim222]

It looks like this email is related to a clause in the Terms and Conditions: "You shall not promote or facilitate a Referral Event by any means other than displaying a Referral Button on the Site, unless expressly authorized in writing by Google (including by electronic mail). "

[google.com...]
Paragraph 2, under the Referrals heading

[Leva]

I'm glad to hear other people got this e-mail. I will assume then that this was just coincidence and hopefully not related to the fact that some of the referral arbitrage sites were using my URL as their display URL, with a different destination URL. I had feared Google had seen that and assumed I was at fault without looking at the destination.

-- Leva

[ann]

I thought it meant having adsense on site and buying traffic to get clicks...not having a widget for sale and buying traffic to sell them?

[YesMom]

Does this mean we can't display a Firefox referral button with some associated text saying we personally recommend the Firefox browser (just an example) and letting users know to 'click here' to get it?

I am SO confused!

I thought personal recommendations were 'okay' with referrals.

YM

[rocker]

My thought on this is that Google does not want the publishers competing against their advertisers for ad space.

For instance, if you have a website about dating and you run a "join an online dating service" ad. You might be competing with an Adwords ad for the company you have the referal ad for.

Hope that makes sense :)

[thecleaner]

This is a bit confusing.Anyone care to break this down and clarify?

[farmboy]

I thought personal recommendations were 'okay' with referrals.

That was discussed in a prior thread. I don't remember which, but either ASA indicated it was OK or a post in the AdSense blog indicated it was OK.

----

edit: I believe this was what I remembered:

[webmasterworld.com...]

As always with AdSense, you may not directly incite users to click. However with referrals, since you have chosen to endorse a particular product, you are allowed to reasonably discuss it in your content and note that you can download or sign-up through the button.

FarmBoy