SERP checking and Adwords

Can it get you banned?

[brandmaker]

The updated Adwords terms contained something about impression fraud*. I wonder if SERP checking can be a problem for Adwords advertisers.

I've been using Adwords for one of my sites for a while. Then I paused the campaigns.

In the meantime I have done a lot of SEO work and checked keyword combinations maybe 10-25 times a day.

Could it be dangerous for me to start the Adwords campaign again now?

*Impression fraud
When someone are searching a lot, trying to lower the competitors CTR.

[smallcompany]

I would assume that Google would have something in place NOT TO categorize "innocent" searches as a fraud.

But... how to know?

So, to be safe, you can use Google AdWords Preview Tool - just be sure you're logged off as being logged on messes up results.

I found that, for some reason, Google would always put some of my sites high up when I do a check on related keywords.
It was different in real life.

[bwnbwn]

brandmaker bro checking your rankings 10-25 times a day sounds like you need to let it go and just work more. Forget it for a week and check your rankings using your log files or traffic referrals and chill.
That said I highly doubt 10-25 times a day will be considered impression fraud and see no problem with you activiting your account again, just don't be so obsessed with your rankings.

[brandmaker]

Thanks for the replies. I guess no one can really know for sure.

Good tip, smallcompany. I'm going to use the preview tool from now on. (And chill a little bit, bwnbwn :))

I'll probably wait until January before I activate the campaigns again. There's just too many horror stories...

Anyway, this could be something to think about for others.

[SuperF]

It'd be nice if Google offered a way of checking if your ad is showing via the API. Position is easy - they give you the average. But an average of 3.2 today might mean your ad was only showing from 1am to 2am.