How Not to Get the Dreaded Termination Email from Google

Recently Google went on a banning spree. Hundreds, possibly thousands of webmasters got a short email from Google’s Adsense department informing them of their account’s termination. One only has to look through any popular webmaster message boards and tales of woe abound from those cast off the island.

The cleaning up of the Adsense publisher base seems to have given rise to alternate Adsense programs. Some of these, while boasting better payouts, might not have the same ad quality as Adsense. If you’re no longer a part of Adsense or just want to try something new, you can find some of these alternates in a downloadable format on my site or on the web by searching.

There are ways to prevent your account being terminated. One should always familiarize themselves with Adsense TOS (Terms of Service) and send Google and email on any situations you’re unsure about. Some of the better known ways to avoid termination are:

* Check your server logs frequently for any abnormal activity. If you’re using cPanel, I recommend AWstats. Looks for abnormal spikes in traffic on days and compare against your CTR on Adsense. Anything that looks fishy ask Google to investigate. You might want to offer the use of your server logs for their investigation at the same time.

* Use monitoring software to track clicks on your site. You can get this free by searching online. There are a few out there. I’ll compile a list of the more popular ones in a later entry. You can use this to help Google get rid of click fraud by catching suspicious activity first and reporting it to them.

* Don’t click on your own ads or encourage others to do the same. Goes without saying. Also avoid checking your Adsense account on public machines or from behind a proxy with any number of users. Should another user on a public machine click on your ads then it registers as an owner click since the IPs are the same. Same goes for machines behind a proxy. Lets say you work in a company with a few hundred users and have an internal network. In all likelihood the external IPs are a small range. This means that Google will see only the IP addresses that are assigned by the company’s service provider. If anyone else on that network clicks on your ads, you stand a chance of being banned as Google will see the clicks coming from the same place.

* Don’t put Adsense ads on empty pages or with adult or gambling content. Again, self explanatory. Google will catch you sooner than you think. Just remember, their technology can display ads based on your content. If your content is against their TOS, you’re gone. This also includes having their ads on pup-ups or pop-unders, be careful with this one if you’re purchasing traffic. Use of artificial means of traffic generation such as traffic exchanges will get you kicked out. Some successful blog owners have suggested using traffic exchanges before putting Adsense on your site. This way you get some exposure and maybe some repeat vistors before you implement Adsense.

* If you make a mistake. Let them know. If its really an honest mistake and you haven’t been clicking on your own ads for a while then you should be able to get a reprieve. Its easier than asking for reinstatement.

To close, these are just some points to follow. Google can change their TOS at anytime and they do seem to ban people in certain periods more heavily. Some say near the 15th which is their payout date. Keep your nose clean and you should be able to continue making Adsense work for you.

Chris Mootoo is a student of SEO and web trends trying to make a second living on the web after an absense of five years. His newest blog AdsenseShack.com follows Google Adsense and similar programs and the methods employed to make these profitable.