I've since moved on mainly to spot buys in vertical markets.
They just don't seem to get the ideal that people only want to place an ad, not SEO the crap out of the site. And then you can't even get on the first page with all the "Google" garbage like their news, images, videos, YouTube, domain information sites, shopping comparison sites, and of course the black-hat spammers, etc., etc....
Their stated objective is to improve landing page quality here.
Really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. My best to everyone who has been hit with this. Do no evil indeed.
I too only sell my own products and services and have been repeatedly brow beaten by google about 'not a good business model match for Adwords'. (W. T. F) Original software and software consulting is not a good business fit? So that is it. No longer will I deal with those cloistered savants at adwords (I can't contact them anyway).
I stopped using adwords 1 week ago and will not look back (again) since the last two years have been a nightmare.
I try to never think evil of people. I will put another soda in my google frig and think good thoughts.
soda
Beer, beer...
But we have to move back to the city from the mountains now, so I can go back to work. The GF said wait we need it for the trip.
Maybe I'll just burn that stupid certificate that says I generated 1 million leads with SadWords, that would be cute.
SadWords
I'll license that to everybody for a nickel.
You can Paypal me at ...
[edited by: Khensu at 8:57 am (utc) on Dec. 6, 2009]
Edit:
OK, I searched a bit (Bing), and confirmed it was was millionth click.
Well, big G, you own me 16 of those then...
Like I am a high school student, I need a certificate. These are the things 20 years old dream up as they are gazing into lava lamps.
I wasn't banned, all my quality scores went to 1 so I closed the account and sold the site for the the organic value.
16,286,186,505 adviews 23,172,467 clicks (3 years)
It was a good run but I knew it wouldn't last.
That along with the organic traffic, I had 50,000,000+ downloads of my Trademarked free and original software package. (13 years)
My serps listing probably has SB or LP initials on it. I liked you guys better when you were in the garage.
Thanks again, Google.
The problem was that they just didn't take me out but everyone with free Microsoft Office related software all at the same time. You can't fight something like that, I heard the fat lady singing and sold.
[edited by: Khensu at 9:48 am (utc) on Dec. 6, 2009]
You get more of a BANG when you BING it!
Batta BING, Batta BOOM! (Jersey)
Ballmer, you can Paypal me a million at ...
Is there anything on your site that is in a connection to one or more other sites?Anything like submission forms, cart, etc...
On our main site we carry some eBay (EPN ads) but that only brings in enough to maybe cover the server (that I really think is the culprit) which is downloadable software where the shopping cart is another company that handles payments and distribution of the software. If that's the case I bill. It's not our main business AND we had that running since 2002. However we did open a new site would have just removed the campaign.
This is a witch hunt of some kind and it stinks to high heaven of corruption on Google's part. You have a low quality score? delete it...but when 99% of your ads and keywords show 7-10 on the quality score ...the fact is they won't even tell you exaclty what the problem here...just a generic message that we 'contantly submit ads and landing pages of poor quality...WHAT? The ads are passed by them...the landing pages are 7-10 for the vast majority so this is an outright lie that only serves to hide the true reason for this evil policy
It sounds to me like some of you are crossing the line on purpose and are mad that they are just now getting to you. Some of you even admit to working close to the line and that you work hard to stay as close to the line as possible. Google is concerened about the big picture not your individual account or your competitors. I really get tired of all this paranoid conspircy talk about Google. They don't know who you are nor do they care. They are not trying to cut you out because they like your competitors more. They paint with a large brush not a small one.
While I feel bad anytime someone has their income torn away from them, Google's behavior regarding AdWords should be no surprise to you. Anyone operating as a middleman -or one step further as a middleman between another middleman- should have seen this coming a long long time ago.
I don't entirely disagree with you Copeland, but just to throw a spanner into the works on this one, Google recently (this year) created a lengthy new certification process specifically for gambling affiliates to open adwords accounts and actively encouraged them back into Adwords after several years of not being able to. UK only I should add.
Unfortunately this is a risk you run when you base a business on services from a 3rd party. Your business is not under your control. Which is why anyone operating a web-based business must ensure revenue comes as evenly as possible from different sources.
[edited by: Simsi at 9:37 pm (utc) on Dec. 6, 2009]
It sounds to me like some of you are crossing the line on purpose and are mad that they are just now getting to you.
There's a reason why this and other threads have been started against Gorg, and clearly you haven't read any.
The people on this thread are pretty much saying you're dead wrong. Keep in mind when the company that tracks everything has decided you are bad for business, you can't ever join up again, and you can't ever ask why. The whole non-appeal to a robot should be telling you something right there.
It sounds to me like some of you are crossing the line on purpose and are mad that they are just now getting to you. Some of you even admit to working close to the line and that you work hard to stay as close to the line as possible. Google is concerened about the big picture not your individual account or your competitors. I really get tired of all this paranoid conspircy talk about Google. They don't know who you are nor do they care. They are not trying to cut you out because they like your competitors more. They paint with a large brush not a small one.
Let's see what happens when you get your email. We were not playing close to the line at all. Our quality scores were fine. Our site is fine and we have been serving our niche sucessfully for 11 years now. Our sites are top notch not only for our industry but overall.
The fact they banned for life with no way to appeal is rediculous and very overhanded to say the very least. Are they evil? Well they were to us...and maybe you will be singing a different tune when you get your email. We thought nothing of it when the emails went out in early November because we were that sure we were in line with their policies. So don't be smug my friend.
I know this...they took money for their part in showing ads...and we most likely going to charge them back for the last 120 days, write a blog about this on our news site and file a lawsuit for publicity purpose (only to drop it before it actually gets to court). We are not just going to take this lying down. Our sites can stand the public scrutiny. People need to know what Google has done.
It sounds to me like some of you are crossing the line on purpose and are mad that they are just now getting to you. Some of you even admit to working close to the line and that you work hard to stay as close to the line as possible. Google is concerened about the big picture not your individual account or your competitors. I really get tired of all this paranoid conspircy talk about Google. They don't know who you are nor do they care. They are not trying to cut you out because they like your competitors more. They paint with a large brush not a small one.
You don't get it. Google's algorithm thinks that we are crossing the line but we are not. There is something seriously wrong with their policies. I got a quality score of 1. Fine. They didn't like the "quality" for a very strange reason.
Then they banned the account? What for? For bad quality (and apparently the bad quality is because I sign people up to an email list with free information on it - I've got no idea how an email list with free information can possibly be bad quality). I have no ads at all on my site, no links to affiliates, no software downloads, nothing at all that could in any way be considered slightly "bad" for any reason at all. It's a very high quality site, that I'm developing to be the number one in it's topic area, with better quality content than any comparable site.
So because of this nebulous concept of bad quality, which makes absolutely zero sense, they decide to ban my account totally, and not allow any advertising at all for any reason.
And when banning the account they did not explain why (in any form of explanation that makes sense), they did not give a warning. As far as I can tell them banning my account is completely arbitrary. I'm still hoping that this is some kind of mistake of some kind, as I don't see any logical reason why they would do it.
If you can't see why that policy it totally ridiculous, heavy handed, over the top, and evil, I don't know what you think is.
Is there anything on your site that is in a connection to one or more other sites?Anything like submission forms, cart, etc...
Anyone else find it sad and ridiculous these are the kinds of question we have to ask ourselves in order to run a campaign now?
Anyone else find it sad and ridiculous these are the kinds of question we have to ask ourselves in order to run a campaign now?
Yes ...me. The fact that they can just kill of people's livelihoods like this is deplorable and not even provide the reasons behind it except this vague email referring us to their policies. One this I did find funny was one of the links they gave goes to a page not found on google....Good quality landing page you have there Google. We shouldn't lay down on this one. Contact your local media... send out press releases. Negative publicity hits them where it hurts and that is in investments.
and .. yes I know "it Google's company and they can do what they want" but despite not being an official monopoly they are at the minimum very close to being one. I don't claim to be a lawyer hence the question. I do know as an businessman, as a customer and as a human being there is something extremely wrong going on here.
Two questions:
1. Has anyone heard back from Google after appealing the ban (positive or negative)
2. Has anyone spoken to an attorney in regards to the legality of Google actions.
We have been in almost constant contact. There is no way to appeal the ban. Google will not even say whether the account ban is for the entire company (in other words could someone else in employ of the company start a new one) or on the website level. In other words if it was sold would the new owners still be banned? Every answer is generic and has vague accusations and are very insulting. Since they are not posting anything in a public forum we can't get them on slander.
We have also spoken with our lawyers. Google can do business with whomever they want to or not. There are legal avenues we are looking at but they are mostly nuisance suits that might garner us some free advertising in the press. At least that way we would get our story heard. We are also considering using our credit card to charge them back going back 120 days. I mean we put up with their 30% fraud clicks for years so 120 days should be about fair I would think. We were not good enough to advertise anymore (after 8 years) but they made sure they took their money the very next day after kicking us out. So their 'scruples' does not invole taking the high road so much as they don't get paid.
Google destroyed my business a long time ago. I used to make $30k a month off of adsene. I got tired of dealing with Google as an affiliate marketer. If you create a business that requires Google then you are taking a big risk and will constantly have to be battling this stuff.
And first thing one of them did was to whine how his paper bills were not as new as of the other guy.
:~)
I wanted to take a sledge hammer and bust up my Google fridge, make a video of it and put it on youtube.
The irony is that they own youtube. You'd be making them money.
My account got banned on Dec 3rd - got the std. generic email from LPQ-support.
I replied the same day with an appeal.
Got a reply today (Dec 8th) explaining that after carefully researching my account they have determined that I have been promoting a "get rich quick" scheme and specify a domain that I've been promoting. The domain in question is NOWHERE to be found on ANY campaigns in my Adwords account.
HOWEVER,
I HAVE NEVER PROMOTED a "Get Rich Quick" scheme and specifically have never ever promoted the website and domain they're referring to.
I've replied to that effect.
[b]THIS CLASSIC AND IRREFUTABLE PROOF they (Google) don't have a #$#%@! clue as to what how their automated process operates and how messed up it is.
I'll keep you posted if I hear back.
And first thing one of them did was to whine how his paper bills were not as new as of the other guy.
The thing with Google though is that their whole selling point is how easy adwords is to get set up with and that it's a great way to grow your business. What they fail to mention is that at any point at their own discretion they can pull the rug out from underneath you. What's immoral here is that anyone who grows their business will also grow their business expenses, so if Google suddenly and without warning shuts accounts down they can screw people over financially.
A company that grows thanks to Adwords will hire more people (as Google gladly explains with their numerous case studies & success stories of companies "going Google"). These workers may have nothing to do with Adwords at all, but they're going to be out of a job if Google suddenly bans the company they work for from using Adwords. We're talking average working people, with families, bills and mortgages who may have never even heard of Adwords. It doesn't just affect the account holder - and Google is fully aware of this.
Google's whole justification of this reeks of an "I made you I can destroy you" attitude. It's true that Google doesn't OWE anybody any profits, they are a service we as consumers choose to use. However, I believe they *do* owe potential advertiser a fair warning - especially if they want to market themselves as something that can take a business to the next level - that they can and do shut people down suddenly, unexpectedly & irreversibly without giving any reason beyond pointing to vague Terms of Service excerpts.
Well, losing them money. Until they figure out how to monetize YouTube they continue to lose millions on the incredible bandwidth numbers.
What they fail to mention is that at any point at their own discretion they can pull the rug out from underneath you
You'll probably find there is a termination clause in the contract you accept when signing up for Adwords. But that's pretty normal with any deal where you accept a standard contract - termination clauses are an everyday business risk which need to be assessed and thus identified in the risk assessment section of the business plan. This is one reason why diversification of revenue streams is so important.
Every industry in the history of free markets has -and does- cut out the middleman.
The world is full of middlemen: employment agencies, marketing companies, used car salesmen. Not every business goes into competition with their customers or suppliers. And sometimes companies even go in the other direction, "spinning off" various departments and sending them back out into the jungle to fend for themselves.
Google's gone the other way. They have decided that they can do it all themselves. Time will tell if they are right.
