Can you encourage clicks on Referral buttons?

I know you CAN NOT encourage clicks on AdSense ads. I also know that in the TOS, Google defines referral buttons as "Google ads." With that aside, I may need to ask a stupid question.

If I put a monetized by AdSense referral button on my website, and then promote the page by telling people I make a ton of cash doing it, am I violating TOS by encouraging people to click?

Follow up: I have a weekly radio show. I want to tell people to go to my website and download the Google Pack. Of course, I have a referral button there to meet their desire to download. Is this a violation of TOS?

Thanks for answering noob questions!

 

I dont think so, you are inviting lots more to join the program and use their software, you are promoting "them", not advertiser.

 

I agree, but if I put a great big blinking sign above the referral button that says "CLICK HERE TO GET FIREFOX NOW" I could see Google having a problem with that. Likewise if I put it on a pop under.

I know there is a line somewhere, and obviously the above examples would be over that line. I am just trying to get a better sense of where that line is.

 

better to ask, but it;s take really hard patience in yours to wait for their answers, i mail them 3 days ago and still no answers about my beta project.

 

well question like these are not answered very quickly... wait for 2-3 more days

 

That's why I thought I would ask here.

 

if you gonna go live, and on the way to receive such spike of traffic, email them, ask and at the same time, alert them about the traffic, most cases if the site goes live, receive such a big spike of traffic, google will raise a red flag, so better email, ask while informing.

 

i've asked this question to Adsense support and the answer is NO - you cannot attract any attention to the referrals, same as with ads.
that being said, i cant help but wonder if they might turn a blind eye if you do..

but, to be safe, i treat MY referrals just like ads - NO unnatural attention.

but, you CAN talk about how much $$ they make, or how great the referral is, or whatever - you just cant say CLICK HERE, or point an arrow to it or anything..

(i make about $75/day in FF, Picasa, and Gpack referrals, so i know of what i speak)

 

I think it a problem when you sya that clicking on the link you will get free stuff apart from what the referall is. Like " Click and get free money" but Click here to get the new firefox with google banner and surf the web safer" is ok I think. You can go on to say how bad MS IE is compared

 

I think that telling people to click on ads just so you can make money will make the advertisers loose their money on invalid clicks.