Examining how Google Adsense looks at this forum.

One clever thing I noticed about how the Adsense finds the right content on this site is that on the source code the Google page url is not the url we see but an archived version. My question is couldn't you just link to any random site about a high paying keyword and then for every click you'd earn lots of money?

 

explain that again please?

 

Well on this DP forum, the code for the google ads is
"<script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_page_url = "http://forums.digitalpoint.com/archive/index.php/t-6509.html";

//--></script>

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing=0 align=right><TR><TD COLSPAN=2>

<script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-5676236325709660";
google_ad_channel ="4467843311";
google_alternate_ad_url = "http://www.digitalpoint.com/ads/ads.php?t=seo";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_color_border = "FFFF88";
google_color_bg = "FFFFCC";
google_color_link = "000066";
google_color_url = "222222";
google_color_text = "222222";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script>"

 

the google_page_url is different to the one we are seeing. The reason is that if you use the excellent Google Sandbox tool on DP this page it comes up with "forum" ads which is irrelevant to the post. Therefore it creates an archive link with only the text from the thread.

 

Where does this part come from? I don't see it in my adsense code!

 

The administrator added this code which is what makes it different from most other sites.

 

By the administrator do your mean Shawn?

If so can we all do it?

 

He isn't a Premium Publisher is he?

 

Can you explain why you ask that question?

 

Because I would imagine that Premium Publishers get different code with possibly additional features which could explain your findings.

 

Because premium publishers get premium service - including modified ad code!

If Shawn, or anyone else who understands this, is around - could you please explain the extra line of code in the adsense script.

 

Well, I actually tried this on my own site. I just added a the extra google_page_url = "" and it worked!!

 

Yuo mean it worked as in it comes up with different ads?

I'd be careful though since tampering with the code violates all rules.

 

What that line does is tells the adsense bot to visit the archived page instead of the main forum page when delivering adsense ads. The benefit to going to the archive is that it's plain text (for the most part) and doesn't have the added "fluff" the main forum page does.

What you are doing, however, does violate the adsense TOS. Like TOPS said, be careful, and take that code down ASAP.

 

Looking at your site it certainly does! I cannot imagine you would have got that ad otherwise.

 

OK OK, taking the code down immediately

 

But now if you look at my blog, instead of targeting the actual information it looks at only the blog keywords. Also would it be violating the TOS if I linked to the atom xml feed instead?

 

So how come Shawn can do it? Is he on the Premium list?

 

Google Adsense Premium sevice requires 10 million content views, i'm sure this forum gets that much!

 

Shawn has said he's not a Premium Publisher.

What I can surmise is that Shawn likely saw someone else doing it, or it was a feature in adsense way back when, but has since been omitted due to fraudulent usage. Shawn isn't directly hurting the adsense program, but it could be argued that he is in violation with the TOS of adsense because he has modified the code. Having said that, you would have to question "what's modification?" Is adding a javascript line in your code "modifying what google has given you" or is it ok? Perhaps google should change the way media bot works and have it not look for that line of code. Shawn's simply re-directing to a plain text copy of each thread in order to display more relevant advertisements. In a way, it helps not only him, but google since different ads get displayed (ads display better in the archives than on the actual posts).