Google Lost their mind - disabled ads on multiple sites without warning

I think Google adsense team has lost their marbles.. They just shut down serving of ads on half of my sites, without warning.

Here is one of them:

"While reviewing your account, we noticed that you are currently displaying Google ads in a manner that is not compliant with our policies. For instance, we found violations of AdSense policies on pages such as www.webhostgear.com/4.html.

Publishers may not implement Google ads in a manner that disguises the ads in any way, for instance, by formatting neighboring content to look similar to the ads, or by making ads look like games or forum threads. Additionally, publishers may not attempt to associate specific images with the individual ads appearing on their sites. Such an implementation may confuse users who assume that the image is directly related to the advertiser's offerings.

Please make any necessary changes to your web pages in the next 3 business days. We also suggest that you take the time to review our program policies (https://www.google.com/adsense/policies) to ensure that all of your other pages are in compliance."


Are you kidding me?! What is wrong with http://www.webhostgear.com/4.html?
You give us tools to make ads look similar to page content. Isn't that the point of text ads? Otherwise you would not give your clients customization tools to change colours. There are no images being used here... wtf.

On one of my other sites I emailed their policy team to make sure the site was compliant, they responded and said it was fine. Without any new changes after a few months, the adsense team has found the site in violation and has stopped servering ads on it.. These guys better start to figure out what is a violation or not. They first say its fine and latter go on and suspend it?

Of course ads are going to look like content, that's why they give us tools and multiple size formatting options to better intergrate their friggen ads. Idiots.

I'm pissed@!

 

And after that, a google ad

"Idiots" are the people that start a thread whining about Google when they are violating the TOS and get caught

 

Yah - "Related Articles" ... I think it might be blended TOO well..

.

 

So if I put it in the pages main content body it would be under the title: Advertise Hosting... how is this a violation, there is content before the ad just as there would be on the main page article...

 

No need to be pissed

You played and got caught. You made it a game knowingly by adding the "about us" link right above the Google Ad.

Followed by the link to your forum. and the casual coaxing to discuss things there.

This is coaxing the user to click on links very close to the ad and why you have received the warning.

Seen it before on other sites and I have to say Google's been consistent on this one.

 

"Related Articles" looks very dodgey imo...

 

No game here, it's called a content management system. I select articles that are related and they get a link shown, then the ads after. I could have shown ads first but I chose not to. I still dont' see an issue with this one.

 

I think they have lost their mind... sure it is blended well...but if we don't blend them nobody will click on them! ugh... google sure does piss me off... they have way too many rules now. Time to look for an alternate income stream...

 

Ok so I see a general feeling that you guys think Related Articles is the cause. Where do you suggest I move the ad then to fix this? Would moving it above Related Articles - and below New! - Need server help? Hire an Expert be a problem?

 

Actually connections, terabite, myself and fryman I believe are all adsense publishers with multiple or large sites.... collectively we all seemed to agree that your ad placement and surrounding words are the reason..

I am not trying to pick on you.....fryman may have been harsh lol

I would put a large rectangle in the white space under these words at the bottom of the page

 

I quited using adsense a long time ago! The adsense team are a bounch of nazi's, no way I'll be having adsense as main income!

 

If you disagree with Google, then leave it just like it is..
However, keep in mind that they have the right to terminate your account whenever they wish - instead they were nice and sent you a warning. If you value your account, just do as they ask.

If you don't like the way Google runs their advertising network, then you should check out YPn or other alternatives..

 

At the top of the column, above Advertise Hosting and under Home / Webhost Gear Info / Advertise Hosting

 

I guess you now have two options. Either accept the fact that they don't like the way you display AdSense on the "Related Articles" section and fix it by making it clear what is a sponsored link and what is not or alternatively, ignore their warning and get banned. At least they give you a chance to correct the issue. Others are not as fortunate and get banned without much warning. Good luck!

 

Play it clean ! Google always wins, you're still lucky they don't banned your account, just banned your websites.

 

I think you had blended the ads a bit too .. What was your CTR ? above 5 ?

 

you got css turned off or something LOL..... you cant see that your normal links are the same color as googles?

i guess thats the prob. i guess.

 

ok I've made some changes to http://www.webhostgear.com/4.html
Tell me what you think now.

 

Normal links cannot be same as The ones for Google ads ?

 

Thats looking good and should capture clicks being as testing has found the big squares at the bottom of pages do very well.