Adsense Ad and Direct-Sold Ad Showing Same Ad Creative on Same Page

[cr1t1calh1t]

I have a direct advertiser that would like to buy more coverage on my site - a sitewide run. This advertiser's ad will end up on pages that are also have a single 336x280 Adsense unit on it as well.

This advertiser also has ads that appear on my site via Adsense - both text ads, as well as the display ad that they're using in the direct placement.

My question is whether this would be a violation of Google's TOS?

I've seen this topic touched on in older threads - and I understand that it is OK to run other ad networks, third party ads, etc - as long as these other ads aren't formatted similarly to or look like Google's ads, but what about the case where Adsense is serving the same ad creative (image/display ad) that is being served by the direct placement?

cr1t1calh1t

[explorador]

The TOS are very clear in that sense. What you describe is not exactly the case but it would be very difficult to explain in case of trouble. I would not do it. Perhaps you can make a deal, removing Adsense while you run your client campaign... just my two cents.

[cr1t1calh1t]

explorador - thank you for your response.

My initial thoughts are to not mix the two on the same page out of an abundance of caution.

That said, I can't afford to remove adsense to run the client ads, and my CMS is making it really difficult to run this direct ad on pages that don't have adsense - in the page area that I need to run it...

[topr8]

erm, why don't you just block the advertiser in your adsense control panel if you are worried. that way you can show adsense ads no problem knowing that the advertiser's ad will not show in the adsense block.

[netmeg]

That's probably the quickest solution. Or ask the advertiser to provide another ad.

[cr1t1calh1t]

@topr8 my hope was that the new ad placement would be a net gain for both myself and the advertiser. Plus the adsense ad unit is above the fold - and their ads perform well there. The new placement is at the bottom of what are in some cases very long pages.

@netmeg - so you are saying that it is against Adsense's TOS to have the same image ad creative being served up from a direct advertiser if it is also being served by Adsense?

Hmm... I was hoping that Google's placement of the Ad Choices tag and Google Plus button would be enough to let me do this...

cr1t1calh1t

[denisl]

On pages that have both affiliate links and Adsense, every now and again i see that adsence is showing the exact same image ad as the affiliate link.
I didn't think this could be against As TOS - it is difficult to predict, and i am probably only seeing it because I have recently visited the affiliates site.
Am I wrong?

[netmeg]

You agree not to display on the same Web page in connection with which any Ad Unit, Ad, Link, Search Box, or Referral Button is displayed (a "Serviced Page") any advertisement(s) or content that an end user of Your Property(ies) would reasonably confuse with a Google advertisement or otherwise associate with Google.

That's a direct quote from the TOS. If you are running the same creative, that sounds to me like it could be mistaken for a Google ad. The tiny arrow - I would bet that's not enough.

But the bottom line is, is it worth risking your AdSense account for? If you think it is, then go for it. If it isn't, then don't.

[cr1t1calh1t]

Thanks for pulling that quote out netmeg, and slamming the door on that one.

My bottom line is - absolutely not worth risking my adsense account on it.

[denisl]

If my situation is a breach of the TOS, it looks as though my easiest way out is to turn off image ads on adsense.

[netmeg]

At least on that ad unit, yep; that should do it.

[denisl]

Well that's justified the time I spend on this forum. I was well aware of that piece of the TOS but somehow it didn't hit me when I saw As showing the same image ad as I already had in an affilliate banner.

I recon my earnings will drop having pulled the image ads from As so may not have Adsense and Affiliates on the same page in future.