Can I incentivate users to READ the ads?

[rmaraujo]

I know that TOS does not allow things like "please click on the ads to support this site", but if I happen to know the type of ads that usually are shown, do you think it is ok to say in the site "you may look at the ads shown here, as they may provide the company/link/product you are looking for"?

After all, they wouldn't be supporting me, but only clicking if they actually are interested.

[]s
Ricardo

[edited by: engine at 5:22 pm (utc) on May 11, 2005]
[edit reason] See TOS [webmasterworld.com] [/edit]

[ugadawgs]

Be careful with these types of post. I just posted a similar question and I got hammered by everyone. Most of these people can be rude.

Read my post: ugadawgs

[jomaxx]

No, absolutely not. Besides, your visitors already know that they may look at the ads.

[rmaraujo]

Ok, ok. Before anyone starts, it's just that ad units and also link units may be useful as dynamic content. If i'm talking about, say, shoes and places to buy them, I thought I could offer a list of vendor and also remind that there may be something on the ads that may be useful... Maybe not in the ads so much, but in link units.

[icedowl]

The best approach is to not even mention the ads. Just place them where they can be seen, they'll do all the work for you.

[oddsod]

"Web pages may not include incentives of any kind for users to click on ads. This includes encouraging users to click on the ads or to visit the advertisers' sites as well as drawing any undue attention to the ads." [google.com]

Reading the TOS will save asking questions already covered there.

[ugadawgs]

Don't worry about it. ODD ball just dogged me out. That's what I was warning you about. Good luck.

[rmaraujo]

"undue attention". That's not the case, the attention would be brought inside a context.

But I guess that if most of people would feel that this is wrong, so would Google. Better stay out.

[oddsod]

That's a gracious acceptance of the situation. And a wise decision.

Welcome to WW.

[HitProf]

Welcome to WW rmaraujo and ugadawgs.

@ rmaraujo
If you want to jeapordise your account you could try it and report back to us. If you value your AdSense account: don't. ;)

@ ugadawgs
We're usually very polite here but the mods are and should be very tight on the rules [webmasterworld.com].

[jomaxx]

P.S. rmaraujo, you may want to bring the current version of your site into compliance with this rule from the Program Policies. It ony requires a slight change on your part:

Publishers may not label the ads with text other than "sponsored links" or "advertisements."

I don't think anyone was rude to you anyway, but this is business and it's more important to get the right answer than the most polite one.