It Is Against the TOS if You...

Discussion in 'Guidelines / Compliance' started by melbel, Feb 28, 2008.

  1. #1
    I am posting this because this forum is full of users complaining that they've been banned for clicking their own ads (or other reasons) and it's getting really old. There are also users who ask questions they'd get an answer from by reading the TOS. Please read the Google Ad Sense TOS, if you don't at least read this. Mods, if you could sticky this, that would be super awesome.

    It Is Against the TOS if You:


    #1 Click Your Own Ads (Or have a friend do it):
    Google will catch you. They've indexed the entire internet, what makes you think that Google doesn't have the technology to track click fraud. All I see on here is "Google banned me and I clicked ads." If they've caught so many people, what makes you think that you won't get caught? Your best bet is not to do it and tell your friends not to do it. If they are a true friend, they will listen to you.

    #2 Have More Than Three Ad Units:
    You can have a max of three ad units on a page (plus one link unit.) There's no need to add any more than that anyway, it junks up your page. If you have more than the allowable amount, you WILL get banned.

    #3 You May Not Mislead Users Into Clicking Your Ads:
    That means if you make ads look like navigation, or otherwise mislead users, you will get banned. For example, ads may be labeled "Sponsored Links" but not "Favorite Sites"

    #4 Google Ads May Not Be Placed On Certain Sites:
    Sites displaying Google ads may not include:

    * Violent content, racial intolerance, or advocacy against any individual, group, or organization
    * Pornography, adult, or mature content
    * Hacking/cracking content
    * Illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia
    * Excessive profanity
    * Gambling or casino-related content
    * Content regarding programs which compensate users for clicking on ads or offers, performing searches, surfing websites, or reading emails
    * Excessive, repetitive, or irrelevant keywords in the content or code of web pages
    * Deceptive or manipulative content or construction to improve your site's search engine ranking, e.g., your site's PageRank
    * Sales or promotion of weapons or ammunition (e.g., firearms, fighting knives, stun guns)
    * Sales or promotion of beer or hard alcohol
    * Sales or promotion of tobacco or tobacco-related products
    * Sales or promotion of prescription drugs
    * Sales or promotion of products that are replicas or imitations of designer goods
    * Sales or distribution of term papers or student essays
    * Any other content that is illegal, promotes illegal activity, or infringes on the legal rights of others
     
    melbel, Feb 28, 2008 IP
  2. Nonny

    Nonny Notable Member

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    #2
    Actually in addition to three ad units, you can have three link units, and two search boxes.

    See info here:
    https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=15943

    You can also have up to three referral units:
    https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=25892&topic=11724

    That's not saying having all those ads is a good idea, but that is what you are allowed.

    Another issue that seems to commonly come up in the "I got banned" posts is people who purchased traffic. Many people don't seem to realize that an "invalid click" doesn't just refer to clicking your own ads, but any artificial clicks or impressions on your page.

    https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=32740
    http://adsense.blogspot.com/2007/04/note-on-traffic-exchange-programs.html
     
    Nonny, Feb 28, 2008 IP
  3. Barginator

    Barginator Guest

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    #3
    How bout placing ads on sites that doesn't have content, just news feeds from places like feedzilla or even youtube...would that get you banned??
     
    Barginator, Mar 4, 2008 IP
  4. Pixelrage

    Pixelrage Peon

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    #4
    I didnt even know it was possible to have more than 3 ad units, doesnt it just display a blank space for each additional one?
     
    Pixelrage, Mar 4, 2008 IP
  5. Barginator

    Barginator Guest

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    #5
    thats true, but there are ways around it....not a good idea though.. just stick affiliate banners if you need to stick more ads on there
     
    Barginator, Mar 4, 2008 IP
  6. usmanarif05

    usmanarif05 Guest

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    #6
    Hey Can you plz. tell me that can we place links of other site on that page where i have placed the google ads?? i means to ask can i exchange linke of the pages where i have three google adsense units???
     
    usmanarif05, Mar 4, 2008 IP
  7. melbel

    melbel Notable Member

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    #7
    Could you please explain that a little bit better... perhaps show me an example, I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say.
     
    melbel, Mar 4, 2008 IP
  8. Monkey Biz

    Monkey Biz Active Member

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    #8
    If I get you rught, yes, you can. If they are a part of another advertise program you have to state that those are not Adsene ads.
     
    Monkey Biz, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  9. tradeya

    tradeya Notable Member

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    #9
    If you place your ads on the pages like that, you will be banned if they found out. i think there is something like this state in new TOS.

    You can placed links exchange on page that got adsense ads. but it should not look the same way google ads look like or mislead people to click on ads.
     
    tradeya, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  10. Barginator

    Barginator Guest

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    #10
    I've read the TOS and didn't find anything that spoke of this. I see sites that only have youtube vidoes and they seem to be getting away with it. What if i add a 50-75 words of content at the bottom of the page, would that be enough to get away with it

    I guess ill put up a link to that page in a few days and see what DP members have to say about it
     
    Barginator, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  11. Nonny

    Nonny Notable Member

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    #11
    Just because a site has been "getting away with it" , doesn't mean it's allowed. It may mean that their sites simply haven't been reviewed by the Adsense staff, and they'll be banned sometime in the future.

    Anyway, showing YouTube videos and scraped content would almost certainly break this rule in the Adsense program policies:
    So, unless the YouTube content is placed on your site with the permission of the copyright holder - so no professional music videos or TV shows - you are breaking the guidelines.
     
    Nonny, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  12. Barginator

    Barginator Guest

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    #12
    Thats funny...Your allowed to embed youtube vidoes in your site, i know that much. But if the video has a copyright Google Adsense would ban my website?? Then why doesn't google ban youtube?? Just 'cause they invested a couple of billion bucks in it??? Nonny, I don't know if what your saying is true; I don't think Adsense would ban my website if i happen to post a youtube video that may infringe on a copyright. That would be despicable; even for Google's standards.

    This is not to say that i am a fan of copyright infringement. I use random youtube feeds, so everytime the page is refreshed, a different video shows up, there is no real way of blocking out the ones with a copyright. I think that should be YouTube's (aka Google's) Job.
     
    Barginator, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  13. Nonny

    Nonny Notable Member

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    #13
    Well, what I quoted was from the Adsense policies. I didn't make it up. YouTube gets a bit of a pass because of the DMCA Safe Harbor provisions. They have to take down videos whenever the copyright-holder requests it, among a number of other qualifications - and they still are vulnerable to lawsuits. You wouldn't qualify for those protections YouTube has. That's not "despicable" that's just the legal reality. And notice that Google doesn't run Adsense on the YouTube video pages either.

    Now whether Adsense would give you a pass because your videos are "random", I don't know. I suspect they wouldn't care how the copyright infringing material got to your site, just that it's there, particularly if the videos aren't really random (if you are using keywords, they aren't random at all). You can take a chance that you won't get banned, or you can ask the Adsense team to evaluate whether your site is OK.
     
    Nonny, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  14. pennywisepcs

    pennywisepcs Peon

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    #14
    They don't ban if you have one youtube video, the idea is to prevent people from having entire sites devoted to youtube videos and paid for by adsense.
     
    pennywisepcs, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  15. imzeeconsulting

    imzeeconsulting Peon

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    #15
    wawo nice info
     
    imzeeconsulting, Mar 5, 2008 IP
  16. Barginator

    Barginator Guest

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    #16
    No? Thats news to me. At one point they did (didnt they???)

    Yah, its just one video with pretty random keywords; ie not an artists name. I am thinking of switching my whole operation to yahoo anyway but its probably the same shit just a different pile.
     
    Barginator, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  17. wilhb81

    wilhb81 Active Member

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    #17
    Hmm..., melbel. I'm just wonder, have you ever heard of 'paypal xilab widget' or paypal frontstore before?

    While paypal ban me, if I put the paypal frontstore at my site?
     
    wilhb81, Mar 6, 2008 IP
  18. trichnosis

    trichnosis Prominent Member

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    #18
    it's the answers of common asked questions:)
     
    trichnosis, Mar 6, 2008 IP