Search Network bogus clicks

I aint paying for that cra.....zy clicks

[jimberan]

Hi guys,
I was doing some work on the server when thought lets have a look at those webalizer reports which I havent done in ages due to the fact that we using new tracking software. Funny that the list of referrer URL on good old webalizer can be ideal for spotting strange click behaviour more then the new tools.

So i saw a whole list of domains, travel related, sending people to our site which is also travel related. I went to have a look and there were my ads showing. However NO google mentioned as it should as per adsense policy, no google search box etc. I checked the domains and they were all owned by the same outfit located in Antigua and Barbuda. I am looking at the numbers of clicks from the numerous different urls and its big bucks that i paid in only a few weeks. (I guess in the thousands atleast)

I called up google and i asked them for the difference between content and search network. Was hard for them to give a clear answer but finanly i was told that its any site with a google search box (that aint the same as the AOL etc mentioned in the promotional material) Anyway, i said, ok then, lets have a look at these urls, why are my ads showing here and there etc. Hmm, well, yes i see, hmm ok, hmm please write to adsense as we dont know to much about what the other side does. No problem, but what about my dinero that adwords charged incorrectly. Well i was told to submit my logs for click fraud team and surely I would get refunded for any wrong clicks. Well i told them that firstly its not really click fraud, its more you guys sending me traffic from partners you dont screen so you are to blame and secondly, you have both logs of the advertiser and publisher in question. Cant you see the stats by clicking a button? You are famous for saving data on your servers and not getting of it

p.s I started running search network again a few weeks agoafter a rep told me that its good now and cleaned up. Well, guess what, NOT.

[jimberan]

Oh yes. I wonder if these sites will continue to have adsense ads next week. They must rake in loads of money but i guess they should be disqualified from adsense as per adsense guidlines. I will keep you updated.

[smeyler]

Google Free Site Search is considered part of the Google Search Network (not Content), or it at least it was.

How do I know? I was involved with a major advertiser that had their ads "appearing" on a racist site that was using Google Free Site Search. The ads were actually appearing on Google.com, as all free site searches do, but had the swastika laden logo at the head of the page.

Needless to say, this was not good. We did get Google to set up a custom system for the agency to exclude free site search for all our clients. This was a big agency, with big budgets. Not sure how they are handling it now and am curious.

Anyone know the answer?