Why does google check for click fraud in such a backwards way? When I go to a site, sometimes I don't click on an ad, sometimes I'll click on 4 that interest me (using firefox's bring up in new tab, option so it's registered all under 1 page view). My clicks are just as legit as everyone elses, but under google's current system, my "erratic" clicking will arouse suspicion with those sites and google may or may not ban them. If they did it this way it would make much more sense.... They should register the ip address and only allow a reasonable maximum amount, ( say 5- 10 clicks a day) from that address, nullifying all further clicks until the next day begins. That would mean that when 5 ads interest me on a site i visit, the webhost would be rewarded for all of those clicks, without suspicion, but if I was trying to "click bomb" his site or something, I'd only be able to hit him a max of 10 times that day. Now someone may say, "Well someone could just go in as a different ip address and continue clicking, and so on",..... but the problem there is that IT WOULDN'T BE FAIR for google to say that a lot of clicks, spread across different ip addresses, are fake, because they just simply don't know FOR SURE that those didn't come from a bunch of ad clicking people like me. Do you hear me people? --Edited last paragraph for clarity.
You have no idea (nor does anyone else outside of G) of all the checks in place to monitor click fraud. Theory and specualtion. I disagree. How do you know they don't do this already? They have entire teams dedicated to click fraud prevention. Do you honestly think they haven't already thought of this? Welcome to DP
Thanks for the welcomes guys. With all due respect guyFromChicago, I didn't just write this because I like making posts in forums. Everyone else seems to be aware that click bombs from a rival site are a real problem. As of right now, google doesn't seem to be able to differentiate between my type of clicking habits, and those of malicious users. Here's further proof... Reading this gave me a good chuckle. I saw a post about someone saying that his elbow accidentally clicked one of his own ads. He was panicked, after everything he's heard on this forum, that he would be banned, and he was adviced to explain things to google. You can't tell me that when this is the state of things... that it hasn't gone a little too far. Too sum up: The webhost has NO CONTROL over how many ads I click on his site. How can google allow me to screw things up for the poor guy?? Until this is straightened out, I don't see how google can possibly think it fair to ban a user, for the actions of someone he doesn't even know! And this is what is happening.
Jim, just expressing my opinion on the subject as I know you are as well. IMO a very small % of publishers have anything to worry about. The negative news gets all the attention. For every "I've been banned for no reason" post you read there are 10,000 people who could post "I haven't been bannned and am doing fairly well with AdSense".
Jim, I think you are exagerrating. I accidentally clicked my own ads a few times when I first started. I'm not banned. The system isn't perfect. Nothing is. Google has very smart people working for them. And they think of everything and try to find the best solution. So if you believe some guy in a forum who claims to have only clicked his ad once and got banned, then you are just gullible. There are A LOT of threads where people bitch about being banned, then admit later in the thread they did something other then click on their ad once. I believe Google 99.9% of the time.
One last quick example that everyone will understand.... MattEvers, I'll just use you as an example.... If you were to give me the address of your website, I could click your ads enough to get you banned from google. (Obviously I'd never do anything like that, I'm just making the point.) You can't tell me Matt, that that wouldn't be fair..... You wouldn't have had any control over it.... The only true response to this is, "Yea, that part does suck." And my point is that google shouldn't be able to ban for fraudulent clicks at all, until this is taken care of. As long as there's .01% of innocent being banned, there's a problem, (and actually I contest that # MattEvers.) It's the same case with sending people to prison. Better we have 10 guilty go free, than 1 innocent person rot in jail, right? Edit - added last paragraph
I think everyone who's commented here understands. it's not a matter of understanding, it's a matter of disagreeing. It's not that easy. http://www.howstuffworks.com/ uses AdSense. Can you get them shut down by Monday? A lot of advertisers have more control over what ads you see than you think. There will always be problems - no advertising platform is perfect. Also, if you read the TOS you have to agree to before joining AdSense you'll see that you give Google the right to terminate your account at anytime.
No you couldn't. I don't even use adsense (never been paid) much. removed is a site of mine. Get that banned and I'll agree with you. I'll post here when I get that "life ending" email.
Yeah, I agree with you Matt, if it was so easy to get the other person banned so easily, than the Mighty Adsense system would have failed on day 1, but its still going strong. Btw Google.com is your site?
@jimsmith, have you been banned for invalid clicks? Or had a warning email? You seem quite upset about this issue.. for what reason?
I have pointed this out before on another thread but it seems relevant here again. Google is a responsible company and as a previous poster says they have intelligent people working there. They are NOT going to just ban someone when they see a lot of clicks unless they are pretty sure they have been done to drive up income by the account holder. They are VERY aware of the tactics some unscrupulous people will sue to get accounts abnned and they are simply not going to fall for it. You can often see proof of this in your CP when you see 10 clciks and $0 income - they have simply discounted the clicks. To suggest they are not aware of this kind of thing and that if some click bombs you will automatically be banned is ludicrous. Check your logs - if you see any suspicious activity, report it to them but dont let paranoia take over. if you are CLEAN the likelihood of you being banned is virtually zero.
Google is a business just like any other.. If you do something to one business that the owner doesn't like in the offline world, are they still going to do business with you? Probobly not. Why shouldn't G run itself the same way? Often times the something that you did to the business wasn't even in your control..thats just the way the world turns. I sincerely doubt anyone saying 'no, you can't just stop doing business with them! thats horrible!" is going to make them work with someone they don't want to work with.. just my 2 cents.