In reading and
talking with many (not all) people who have had their AdSense accounts disabled
it becomes apparent that most understand exactly what it is they were doing
wrong. For those that were not aware, it becomes pretty obvious after just a
bit of discussion that they’re blindly unaware about what is and is not allowed
under Google’s ToS regarding AdSense accounts. It’s extremely important for
Google to protect their advertisers and they’ve obviously made that a priority
within their system. If the advertisers aren’t comfortable they’ll be receiving
legitimate and useful traffic, all of the advertisers would dry up and us
publishers would be left with a system that doesn’t pay nearly as well. Even if
we don’t always get credit for clicks, get lowered value due to smart pricing,
etc…we’re thankful Google is protecting the long-term viability of the AdSense
program. Here are the primary reasons Google will ban AdSense accounts:
1. Fradulent
Clicks – Google is
EXTREMELY good at determining whether clicks are legitimate or not. Some
publishers have thought that by contacting friends and family, having them
search for their site, find, and then click on the ads keeps them in the clear
but this is a huge risk and not at all worth the minimal rewards might you
receive. Others have attempted to cloak their traffic or use automated software
that will click on the sites for them which, of course, is unacceptable.
2. Fake
Traffic – Publishers will
either purchase loads of traffic from often-shady sources or will buy websites
where the majority of traffic is coming from shady sources. (Note: When I
mention shady sources I’m referring to traffic that may be incentives or
directed to sites through traffic shares, social media, etc.) Often this
traffic will have no interest in the particular subject, but does results in
clicks that cost the advertiser money. This type of traffic is harmful to
advertisers…they’re paying for traffic that will, ultimately, not convert for
them.
3. Previously Banned Account –
Sometimes publishers that have previously been banned will attempt to sign up
for another account by changing their name, using a friend’s contact
information, etc. Google is very adept at catching this and will shut you down
when caught. Instead of signing up again yourself, consider the options we give
below. There is a 4th option that seems to happen much less, but does get
reported from credible sources. Some have claimed to have done none of the
above and still had their accounts disabled. It’s tough, because there’s always
a nagging question as to how truthful they are being about what they’ve done
with their account and their sites. I think, in some cases, they’ve ended up
having problems with their account because they have told others about sites
under their control. Whether to help or to harm, it’s possible that others went
to their sites and were clicking on their advertisements. (It could be a
function of readers of theirs going to their sites and trying to “help” their
revenue by clicking on their ads or it could be jealous competitors doing it to
cause problems with their sites.)
