Many webmasters have been banned from Adsense without any wrong doing on their part. Considering that some were derived actual income from Adsense, it is easy to see why they may want to reinstate their accounts. However, the desire to make money off Adsense has also spawned a rise in click fraud. This has become a very serious problem for the search engine company.
Understanding Click Fraud
Click fraud is the term given to clicking on ads to generate money for its publisher, much like paying for fake leads. Most website operators know of this type of fraud and identify it as the biggest problem Adsense faces.
Preventing Involvement in Click Fraud
To avoid becoming involved in click fraud, there are a number of proactive steps that webmasters can take:
Access Logs
Almost all web hosts make access logs available. You can provide these logs to Google to help them detect whether something suspicious has happened on your site. This would be a collaborative effort that definitely will carry the message to Google that you’re pretty serious about finding a solution.
Click Monitoring Software
You should install click monitoring software. Most of them are free and track suspicious clicks. You can share the data with Google as proof of your actions against click fraud.
Server Logs
Monitor server logs regularly for odd activity and report anything that looks strange to Google, no matter how small.
Turn Off Ads for Your Own IP
Also important is turning off ads for your own IP address and local geographic area with an htaccess file. This avoids the possibility of an accidental click and Google mistaking another user’s clicks as your own.
Ad Placement
Avoid running Adsense ads on pop-ups, pop-unders, or any illegal content, such as adult and gambling sites. Remove this content or ad at once should you believe to be breaking this rule.
Honesty with Google
Tell it to Google if your ad was clicked on accidentally or deliberately, or anything else that may happen which could give them the impression that you are in violation of their TOS. Sometimes, honesty can save you from eventual termination and loss of hard-earned earnings.
Inform Your Network
Also, do not mention to your family and friends that you are running Adsense on your website because they might start clicking on your ads to put more money in your pocket. If they see your Adsense ads, tell them that they should never click on those no matter what.
PPC Network Measures
Most of the pay-per-click networks instigate protection measures against click fraud by tracking various data points, such as IP addresses, browser information, and user sessions, using pattern recognition. Added to this are specific teams who monitor and prevent fraud.
Suggestions from Google
Google also recommends “negative keywords” to prevent your Adsense ads from being published in unrelated products and services. You can also attach tracking URLs to your links to keep tabs on the traffic coming from Google.
Be Vigilant
Knowing how to avoid click fraud is very important in staying clear from such practices within Google Adsense. Here are some of the ways that can help in protecting your Adsense account and in continual reaping off from this program.
Read more : Who Else Wants to Make Money with Adsense? in 2024
