AdSense - No Sense!

Look at this Blog page - what do you see?

Nothing, right?

Well, nothing but my Blog, anyway. Why? Because Google have shut down my AdSense account.

Ah, you say. You've been self-clicking! WRONG! I haven't so much as touched any of the AdSense appearing on any of my Blogs or websites (and I've got quite a few).

So - what happened? A couple of years ago, I worked for a big travel agent, built a big, personal travel web site with loads of AdSense links and logos and started advertising it. The people I worked with found out, looked at the site and liked what they saw. It was relevant to them and their work. So they started using the AdSense ads as well, to get even more information about travel deals. I didn't know at the time, but everyone who clicks on an AdSense ad - any ad - has their IP address recorded by Google. All of my co-workers, visiting and clicking on my site from the office, all sent the same IP address, the office gateway router. Google looked at the stats, and WHAM, I was shut down.

No amount of explanation would convince Google that I hadn't been sitting at a computer all day, just clicking my ads. So I left it alone.

Two years later - I have moved postal address, shut down the travel website, changed e-mail addresses and generally forgot all about AdSense.

That is, until just before Christmas 06, when I found BANS (Build A Niche Store)

This quite brilliant piece of software uses all sorts of clever links to create a money-making web site, ready for you to start promoting. Part of it includes AdSense ads.

Now, do you see my dilemma? I thought about it and decided to re-apply. After all, the only thing about my new application that had stayed the same was my name and date of birth - No I didn't lie about either of them!

I completed the on-line application and was immediately accepted. Wonderful. Things seemed to be getting better. I created lots of BANS stores and started to make a few cents.

Day - weeks - months went by, then an e-mail from Google dropped into my in-box:-

"Your AdSense account was found to be related to an account previously disabled for invalid click activity and we have therefore disabled your account. Publishers disabled for invalid click activity are not allowed further participation in AdSense and do not receive any further payment. The earnings on your account will be properly returned to the affected advertisers.

As outlined in our programme Terms and Conditions, Google reserves the right to terminate any publisher's participation at any time."

So there you have it. Beware - don't dare upset the mighty Google. You might be terminated through no fault of your own!

By the way - Google still take a fair amount of money off me for my AdWords account - but I suppose that's OK!

Stay Happy, everyone.