January 27, 2006
I’m quite speechless at the moment.
It would appear that Google felt that by having the users of my site, as well as myself, click on the occasional ad on my Google Ads areas of my web site has somehow triggered a fraudulent flag on me and I’ve been shut down.
I’m outraged they would do this without investigation and without my involvement. Their Email eludes to having robots/automated processes clicking on ads, which is absurd.
Through the course of using AdSense over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to evaluate some neat software, learn about some community blog sites, look at blogging tools that could help me and my wife do better at this little hobby, and yet because of that, I get shut off?
I’ve written back to Google asking them to explain in full detail what it was that triggered the cancellation of my AdSense account, but I have no indication if/when I’ll get any response from them.
Here’s their letter:
Hello Ian Douglas,
It has come to our attention that invalid clicks have been generated on the Google ads
on your site(s). We have therefore disabled your Google AdSense account. Please
understand that this step was taken in an effort to protect the interest of the AdWords
advertisers.
A publisher's site may not have invalid clicks on any ad(s), including but not limited to
clicks generated by:
- a publisher on his own web pages
- a publisher encouraging others to click on his ads
- automated clicking programs or any other deceptive software
- a publisher altering any portion of the ad code or changing the layout, behavior,
targeting, or delivery of ads for any reason
Practices such as these are in violation of the Google AdSense Terms and Conditions and
program polices, which can be viewed at:
https://www.google.com/adsense/localized-terms?hl=en_US
https://www.google.com/adsense/policies?hl=en_US
Publishers disabled for invalid click activity are not allowed further participation in
AdSense and do not receive any further payment. The earnings on your account will be
properly returned to the affected advertisers.
Sincerely,
The Google AdSense Team
I find it absolutely ridiculous that I’m allowed to have advertising on my own site, yet not allowed to click on those ads myself if they interest me.
At last check, Google owed me about $20 and change for the ad clicks, and that’s since AUGUST – $20 over 5 months can hardly be considered fraud, when I’ve heard stories of people manually clicking ads to rack up HUNDREDS of dollars in ad revenue every few days. I’ve even seen a site where a guy guarantees getting upwards of $15,000/month in google adsense payments.
Come on Google - go after the bad guys and leave the rest of us alone that want to make a buck or two by showing your ads!
UPDATE later that day:
Google has written me back explaining the appeals process, and I had to jump through some hoops and theorize as to why they would have shut me off.