Google says - Don't click on your own ads!

[mooiness]

For those of you who have been wondering about clicking on your own ads and or have been tempted to, this is the official word from Google and a brief reason why you shouldn't:
Generally, we ask that you not place your ads near features of your site that your users may interact with by clicking. If your site contains elements that increase the number of ad clicks without increasing business results for the advertiser, we may consider these clicks to be invalid. "Business results" can range from an online sale to a page view. If we detect enough of these clicks and determine that the risk to our advertisers is too great, we may disable the account. To maintain compliance with our program policies and ensure that your users don't inadvertently click on the ads on your site, we strongly recommend that you move any ad units that are in close proximity to interactive site features.

(emphasis mine)

http://adsense.blogspot.com/2007/05/dont-run-risk-of-click-and-miss.html

So can we stop talking about clicking on your own ads now? ;)

[Stax_Daniel]

that quote doesn't have to do with clicking your own ads...it talks about putting ads near areas that people need to click a lot in (navigation)...

you lost me...lol

[mooiness]

@Stax: actually the article starts by saying that you shouldn't click on your own ads - even accidentally. I didn't want to quote the entire article, so there. :P

[Stax_Daniel]

@Stax: actually the article starts by saying that you shouldn't click on your own ads - even accidentally. I didn't want to quote the entire article, so there. :P

I see where you're coming from :)...hope you didn't take me as being mean or anything...:o...was just saying that if someone only reads that quote...and not the link, it's a bit ?puzzling?...(so i went and read the link...lol)

[mooiness]

@stax: nah I'm cool man! I know where you are coming from too! :D

[8everything]

It's pretty obvious though... :p isn't it? If you're interested in your ad, just type out the URL manually

[Stax_Daniel]

It's pretty obvious though... :p isn't it? If you're interested in your ad, just type out the URL manually

until you get one of those pesky image ads that doesn't have the URL on it...lol..I hate those...because I seem to always want to click it..:rolleyes:

[unknownseo]

There is nothing new about not clicking your own ads.

[hillord]

they come up with different stuff to avoid potential customers by clicking the ads. what's up with that?

Slowly, you won't even have a google adsense account anymore.!

[imteaz]

so from now on becareful, dont click on ur own ad:)

[mooiness]

@hillord: I think their point of view is that accidental clicks are not good for the advertiser who are paying for those clicks. Who may end up spending less on Adwords and thus publishers would get less.

On the other hand, all this time we've been trained to blend the ads in, putting the links ad unit next to our site navigation etc ... all this confusion is why we see the same questions about the TOS over and over again.

It's an ever evolving game, and unfortunately if we want to continue playing it we have to keep up with the always changing rules.

Which is why diversifying your income sources is always a good idea. Adsense isn't the only game in town even though it is the biggest.

[8everything]

until you get one of those pesky image ads that doesn't have the URL on it...lol..I hate those...because I seem to always want to click it..:rolleyes:

What you can do is place your mouse over it.. and then look at the bottom of your screen: should show you the url! Then type it out

[mooiness]

@8everything: unless you have a twitchy mouse finger. :D

[Stax_Daniel]

@8everything: unless you have a twitchy mouse finger. :D

lol...that's me there...chances are if I stick my mouse over it...;) lol...i'm such a bad bad clicker...:o

nah...i swear the last time I tried to do that 8everything...it didn't show me the URL (maybe I was just tired or something...)...so i haven't tried since..