How NOT To Get Banned By Adsense - Part 3

The main point I attempted to get across in my last post “How NOT To Get Banned By Adsense - Part 2″, was that more often than not, it is our failure to read and understand the Adsense Program Policies that leads us to commit mistakes and result in being suspended or banned by Google Adsense.

I make it a priority to read and understand any changes to the Adsense Program Policies as and when they occur. Taking the time to do that not only puts my mind at ease - it also helps me keep my account in good standing with Google. Very often though, things are beyond our control. Click attacks for example, are simply beyond our control. However, like I said in Part 2, you can avoid click attacks from offended or malicious persons by watching your manners online AND offline.

I believe that despite its many perceived weaknesses, Google is fair and professional in the way they treat Adsense publishers in general. I believe that they consider every publisher to be an important member of their team. Surely they realize that as publishers continue to improve the performance of their website(s) and continue to participate in the Adsense program, Google’s revenue can only increase. Which is why Adsense does not ban publishers outright unless they consider the violation to be particularly serious.

Participating in online forums and communicating with publishers who have had the unfortunate experience of being cautioned or banned by Adsense, I have noticed that there are 3 stages in the BANNING process :

• Notification of issues that have contravened the Adsense Program Policies.
• Notification of the publisher’s account being suspended.
• Notification that the publisher’s account has been disabled (ban).

If you happen to find yourself in the unfortunate position of receiving notification for the first two points, you are still safe, but you need to take immediate action to rectify whatever situation that caused it. Contact Adsense immediately.

Step 1 : Email Adsense.

• BE NICE. Remember, it’s your neck that’s on the line, and that you are dealing with a staff who is as human as you are. Try to imagine if it was YOU who had to deal with a rude customer. Always maintain decorum in your communication with Adsense.
• BE SINCERE. Inform them that you “understand invalid clicks is a very real issue that threathens not only advertisers, but Adsense publishers and Google themselves”. Be sincere when you say “I understand fully Adsense’s Program Policies and have never tried to violate them”.
• DON’T USE THREATS. This is a real no-no. Google has every right to protect its own interests and that of its advertisers. When you threaten legal action, your case finds its way to the legal department. Not only does this delay the whole process, it also shows Google that you’re not willing to work with them to help solve the problem. Remember, there are millions of Adsense publishers. You have MORE to lose than Google.
• CHECK YOUR EMAIL. You want your email to be clear and easily understood. If you’re not comfortable with how your email sounds, get someone to read it first and give their opinion.

Step 2 : Offer all the information you have

This includes server logs, traffic stats and if you use a third party ad tracker, the reports generated by it. I have had the unfortunate experience of being click attacked once. I noticed a big jump in clicks. I dismissed the spike, telling myself that Adsense will probably disregard those clicks and withhold any earnings from them. However, 2 days later I received the “invalid clicks” email. I immediately knew the cause and detailed the date, time and number of clicks involved. I was candid with Adsense and informed them that I assumed they would disregard those clicks. I offered my full cooperation and asked them how I could help prevent similar problems.

Step 3 : Offer your full cooperation

My invalid clicks issue was settled with a reply from them stating that the email I received merely to notify me of a potentially harmful situation in order for me to take preventive measures. Their reply went on to state that they appeciated my effort in trying to keep my account in good standing. I believe that this is a crucial part of being an Adsense Publisher that many people fail to see.

Imagine if YOU ran a business with hundreds of customers and suppliers. Wouldn’t you somehow give your customers and suppliers a rating? I run a small business and I DO rate my customers and suppliers based on dealings with them even if it is not in writing. So it seems logical for Adsense to also rate their publishers. You may not agree but I believe that every email you send to them in trying to keep your account in good standing adds to your “trust rating”. Then, future actions by them will be taken based on this “trust rating”. If you’ve been pro-active in trying to keep your account in good standing, they will in turn be as helpful and trusting in their dealings with you. It’s all about relationship building.

Step 4 : Don’t worsen the situation

Online forums are filled with threads about publishers who claim to have been banned or suspended without reason. They rant and rave, then go on and on about how badly they’ve been mistreated by Google and they make threats of legal action.

The first cautionary email you receive notifying you of invalid clicks and/or suspension would probably be an automated one. However, when you email them, subsequent replies will probably be from a real person assigned to look into your case. You must remember that human review of your situation will take time and it only makes things worse if you blab about your case WHILE investigation is being carried out.

Google has staff who are assigned to participate in online forums - the most prominent one being AdsenseAdvisor who regularly posts feedback in the Adsense forums on WebmasterWorld. I am sure that when a publisher makes noise about a situation, Google takes notice of it even though the noise maker may think he hides behind the anonimity of his forum nick.

Again - let the process take its due course. Don’t mess it up by disclosing the details online.

Step 4 : Follow up

Processes can drag on for a long time. You need to keep following up with Adsense and ask about your status, especially if your account has been suspended. Document ALL correspondence between you and Adsense. This serves as a reference for future communication. Remember to always maintain decorum in your communication with Adsense.

In closing, if you are unfortunate enough to have been banned, here are the 2 links from Part 1 again :

Keeping your Adsense account in good standing
and
Frequently Asked Questions about disabled accounts

How NOT To Get Banned By Adsense - Part 1
How NOT To Get Banned By Adsense - Part 2

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