AdSense Abuse Techniques and Countermeasures by Google

• You must have seen the use of floating layers on many sites (generally created using DHTML & JavaScript). Since these layers can move dynamically and could be programmed to follow the mouse, Placing Adsense Ads on these layers can be unintentional clicks on the ads. Google therefore does not allow the ads to be placed on floating layers.


• Images as Graphical pointers beside ad units were preferred way of many ad publishers to grab the attention of the visitor who would otherwise have ignored the ads due to the “ad blindness” behavior. In this technique images or flash objects are used in order to deceive the visitors into clicking the Ad by suggesting a link between the image/flash object and the ads. Google therefore disallows any images or flash objects beside the ads, which could suggest any link between the two.


• Some publishers tried to hide the “ads by google” tagline by customizing the background color of the page and the color of the ad itself so that it would blend into the page and hardly be visible to the visitor and the ads would look like regular links. Google now uses an image tagline on ads that will not blend into the background.


• Some publishers altered the adsense code to make the ads appear as a “single line link” and then camouflaged them in between the navigation links or their recommended links. Google strictly prohibits any alteration of its adsense code.


• Some publishers would load the ad in a floating frame (<iframe> tag). The frame dimensions would hide the fact that it is a google ad. In fact the user wont be able to tell that the ad is loaded using a hidden frame. Google does not allow ads to be loaded that way. (No Google ad may be placed on any non-content-based pages.). Although, this technique does not alter the adsense code. Google policy states “Elements on a page must not obscure any portion of the ads”, Therefore it is an unacceptable practice.


• Some publishers place ads adjacent to the site interaction objects, such as navigational links, Flash/JavaScript Games & Buttons, Download Buttons, under popups or anything that requires frequent clicking. Some accidental clicks are received on those ads.

Also, One of the most common abuses of adsense that is done unknowingly by many is that they place a wide skyscraper ad on the right hand side of the page, adjacent to the scrollbar. Whenever an Image ad is displayed on the wide skyscraper the entire area becomes a “click zone”(unlike the column of text ads). Clicks are received when the user, instead of clicking the scrollbar accidentally clicks the ad. Google now considers the clicks with very low returns to the advertiser as invalid clicks and threatens to disable the account of the publisher.

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The Techniques described above are for Information purpose only. Under no circumstances does this article suggest that you abuse the Google Adsense program using the techniques described above. Furthermore the author does not take any responsibility if anyone gets banned/ejected by google as a result of using the techniques described above.