Google AdSense Accounts Closed if Fraudulent Ad Clicks are Suspected
As
print media experiences a drop in readership and advertising,
web-based pay per click (PPC) advertising opportunities through Google's
AdWords and AdSense programs are steadily on the rise. But these internet advertising programs
are not without flaws; ad click fraud is a serious problem that's
prompted Google to take a zero-tolerance stance as the web giant tries
to maintain the integrity of its AdSense and AdWords internet
advertising programs.
What is Click Fraud?
Click
fraud is the act of clicking advertisements on the internet with the
intention of earning money or draining a competitor's advertising
account. Fraudulent ad clicks are extremely problematic, as it
undermines the integrity of the Google AdWords
program and other similar internet-based PPC advertising programs that
involve clicking on an ad containing a link that, in turn, directs the
clicker to the advertiser's web page.
Websites and Bloggers Committing Click Fraud
A large portion of fraudulent clicks come as a dishonest attempt to earn money via Google's AdSense program.
The AdSense program enables websites and blogs to display contextual
advertisements and with each ad that's clicked, the website or blogger
earns a portion of the money that the advertiser agreed to pay per
click.
What many fraudulent clickers don't realize is that Google tracks each and every click with IP address
logging, among other methods. Red flags arise when abnormal ad
clicking patterns emerge over a period of weeks or months, be it a
suspicious pattern of ad clicks from a particular IP address or an
unusually high number of clicks on the advertisements displayed on a
web page.
When click fraud is suspected, the staff at Google
investigate the invalid clicks. When a situation involving fraudulent
clicks is confirmed, Google typically hands out a lifetime ban from the
AdSense program.
Advertisers and Fraudulent Clicks
Another form of click fraud involves advertisers who use ad clicks as part of malicious and unethical business practices.
Advertisers
have been known to engage in click fraud by clicking a competitor's
web ads in an effort to expend the competitor's pre-set daily spending
limit for advertisements. With the Google AdWords program,
advertisers pay each time an ad is clicked. An advertiser's ads will
"shut off" for the day once the pre-set daily spending limit is
reached, so by committing click fraud, dishonest advertisers attempt to
eliminate the competitor's internet ads.
Other Forms of Click Fraud on the Web
Another form of click fraud involves a "click exchange."
A click exchange involves two or more individuals who, in an attempt
to "outsmart" Google, agree to click ads on each others' website or
blog.
Dishonest individuals who take part in click exchanges
mistakenly believe that they cannot be held responsible for clicks that
originate from another person's IP address. In reality, Google is wise
to the click exchange, so
any suspicious pattern of ad clicks
— even those that originate from another person's IP address — that's
consistent with click fraud serves as sufficient grounds for a lifetime
ban from Google's AdSense program.
Promoting invalid clicks by
instructing blog or website visitors to click on ads is another form of
click fraud. Promotion of fraudulent ad clicks is considered a serious
offense that's grounds for termination of a website's or blog's
affiliation with AdSense.
Can You Appeal an AdSense Account Closure Due to Click Fraud?
For
many years, there was no appeal process for individuals whose AdSense
accounts were closed due to alleged click fraud involvement. But
ultimately, Google decided to implement a
click fraud appeals process,
though it's believed that a very small percentage of accounts are ever
reinstated following cancellation due to suspected click fraud.
Advertisers
are always keen to reach their target customers by one way or the other
and thus advertising through mobile applications is the latest concept
promoted by Google through this Beta program ,in-turn the application
developers will get a chance to make quick cash
and the consumers will get direct access to products of their choice
thus saving their time and energy for looking for the desired products
and services.
