But why have parked domain as a search partner? Sedo parked domain which is on sale is serving Google's ads and acts as a search partner. And it is not one, but many of them causing a sea of 403s based on my settings that ban image hot linking. That's how I came across those...
How it happened that those sites linked to other IPs that have triggered image hot linking "no no" script, that's still to be found.
What I found was that if I enter a keyword that I bid on through Search only, I see my ad, and I don't want it there!
If clicks that I'm paying for are being automated by something that is inappropriately linking to my site and for that reason is getting banned (403), that's wrong.
I tried to think about regular individual being somehow on that crappy site and searching for the keyword that is exact match. In that case, no ban would be issued.
So, something is wrong!
Now, I have to think thoroughly if I should click OFF search partners. There is something very STINKY in regards of that.
I'm not even sure how to approach Google, as... he, he, he ... can you imagine a dumb face of an average Google AdWords support rep when I try to explain this and raise my concern as a client of them?
Anyhow... Google! For the sake of your reputation - clean up your search network. Watch, check, double check, check again, run reports, come on, you can do it, we all know you can.
P.S.
When I checked the IP addresses of those super-duper search partners, I found that three of them has IP based in Germany, x.x.x.163, 165, 167. The fourth one, even though it sent traffic to something that caused 403, it does not even exists now. Both domain name and IP address are dead.
The fifth domain had an IP from Costa Rica. I do not advertise there, at least not based on the settings I have in my campaigns.
The sixth one was in U.S. - Ola, I do advertise there...
...and so on... crazy number of domains doing crazy things...
Sorry Google, but my Search Partners is OFF for this particular campaign.
Your credibility is shaken, big time!
Bit of technical stuff that some could help me understand, and other find it useful, or to make them wonder.
One of the 403s comes from some .BG site (Bulgarian domain). The referring link is the same as the one it tried to load and caused 403.
It uses some "catch.php" script that has some variables including that BG domain and my site, and than it tries to redirect to a link which is googleads.g.doubleclick.net
Would this be automated script trying to pump up clicks onto AdSense ads?
It is definitely not right, whatever it does.
I have excluded the BG site and will be watching it. I thought it may even be that the BG site is not part of AdSense bu trying to "click" onto ads on another site - artificially.
And yes, my campaign targets U.S. only.
