Adsense - What does google know about traffic?

[gmac17]

Because of the code on they have on my site, can google tell where my traffic is coming from, what search terms were used to get there etc. and use that data in their "smart pricing"?

[blue_eagle]

% 99 yes. I am not sure about thier "fancy" softwares but even small scripts can find those things..

[dataguy]

With the AdSense code, there is the ability for them to get all the info that you can get from someone viewing your page, as long as the visitor has JavaScript enabled. This includes HTTP Referer, User Agent, IP, screen resolution, etc.

[howiejs]

this is a GREAT question. Smart pricing has to be based on this! Since they just can't have enough broad conversion data on the advertiser side . . .

[gmac17]

I have to think this is a factor. I need to do more study, but when I have tried to buy traffic from second rate search engines, the clicks that traffic has given me has not had good EPC.

[dataguy]

I don't know how much the traffic source could be a factor, but Google would be able to tell if visitor arrived at the AdSense page from another page within the same site, which would probably indicate that the visitor is less likely a click-bot.

Probably more important however is the fact that they can tell if the same computer has been clicking on a lot of AdSense ads, though IP and cookie tracking.

[Macro]

I've been saying for ages that the amount of info Google has is awesome. They also know the route people take through your site, how long they spend on pages and loads more. Then they can combine that info with how often people clicked in SERPS. And for what keywords. For those people who have the Google toolbar there's even more info available. They even know the type of people who come to you, where else those people go, what books they buy, how many kids they've got, where they shop, even what colour knickers they wear.

One thing's for sure. Google knows more about your site, your traffic etc than you do. The fact that they have tons of stuff on other sites as well also puts them in a good position to do comparisons. You don't have a chance in hell of knowing a fraction that they do.

But they "Do no evil". So I wouldn't be worried about it for the moment ;)

[blairsp]

George Orwell-was he perhaps right-just a few years out in his predictions?

[tombola]

One thing's for sure. Google knows more about your site, your traffic etc than you do.

Can hardly believe that a webmaster says something like that ;-)

[loanuniverse]

Nahh, they don't know all of my traffic as there are a few pages in the site that do not have the adsense code. But they probably know 95% of my traffic, and I am sure that they have much better tools to analyze my data than my registered copy of Weblog Expert.