Click Fraud

1. 61

   Instgtrposted 13 years ago

   On some of the other sites I've worked with, clicking on an ad is a serious "no no" and is expressly forbidden.
   
   Some of the links that have come up on my hubs have looked really interesting and I've wanted to take a "closer look" at what have to they offer...
   
   Is clicking a link that you're interested in considered click fraud if you only click it once?
   
   Thanx,
   Dennis

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   1. 72

      relacheposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You may find this entry from the AdSense blog helpful in explaining,
      
      http://adsense.blogspot.com/2008/08/def … fraud.html
      
      Take note of the very first condition listed under "click fraud."

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   2. 65

      2uesdayposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It is not worth the lose of your adsense account to click on your own ads. on your own hubs.
      
      Nor do I click on other hubbers' ads. on the site in case it is seen as an infringement by adsense and I lose the person their account. That might be over cautious but I prefer not to risk it.
      
      One other thing to be aware of is - if you tell friends or family and they go on a clicking the ads spree you could lose your account. It has happend to people - if what you read in the forums is to be believed.

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2. 85

   KCC Big Countryposted 13 years ago

   You'll get varying opinions on this, but I would never take the chance on losing my Adsense account.  Nothing is that interesting.  Something I have done is open up another browser window and type in some of the exact text from an ad that I might be interested in and try to find it myself.

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3. 71

   AEvansposted 13 years ago

   I agree with KCC just open another browser you certainly do not want to get into trouble with Adsense

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4. 66

   Ivorwenposted 13 years ago

   Often times, the web address of the add is under the add on the left side.

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5. 72

   thisisoliposted 13 years ago

   I would say never click on your own adverts.  While you could probably manage to class a one of click as accidental, it is not really worth the risk.
   
   Instead just take a note of the advert and find it normally!

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6. 61

   Instgtrposted 13 years ago

   What are the rules on clicking on other hubbers ads?

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      CMHypnoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      If you use a lot of trackers, you might still be accidentally clicking on one of your own ads without knowing it

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         Instgtrposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Not sure what that means... "Use a lot of trackers"

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   2. 0

      Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      There are no rules against this that I know of, as long as you do it out of genuine interest and not for financial gain.

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      1. 85

         KCC Big Countryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         That would be hard to prove.  Don't you think everyone would try to say that if caught?  What would keep people from claiming that even when it wasn't so?  People create elaborate "I scratch your back,  you scratch mine" schemes to make sure each other profits.  IMO, It's just not worth it to click on anything unless you're prepared to give up your own account over it.

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         1. 0

            Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            For once, I don't understand what you are saying. The question was about clicking on other hubbers' ads, not one's own. I feel entitled to click on other hubbers' ads that interest me, as I have no contractual or other business relationship with them. If there are rules against that, please enlighten us. I am of course talking about clicking on a few ads once in awhile, not massively or systematically clicking on ads.

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            1. 85

               KCC Big Countryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               And what if two peole said, "I'll click on yours if you click on mine?"  "I'll act like I'm interested in yours and you act like you're interested in mine".  "If caught, we'll both say we didn't know, and we really were interested in that stuff".
               
               See the problem? 
               
               That's the crap that happens and that's why it's not a good idea.  Hubbers "helping" hubbers is bad bad bad bad IMO.

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               1. 0

                  Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  I am not talking about helping anyone, my dear KCC. Are you telling me that I should never, on my own volition, click on any other hubber's ads, even if these ads interest me?

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                  1. 85

                     KCC Big Countryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     I'm telling you I never would and why I think it's a bad idea for anyone else to.  You're welcome to click wherever you want.  The question was asked, I responded with my best advice.  Anyone can take my advice or leave it.

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            2. 72

               thisisoliposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               The initial comment on clicking on other hubbers ads was to do with Hubpages trackers, in which case there ia a 10% chance you are clicking your own ad.
               
               To play it safe I dont click on hubpages adverts.

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               1. 0

                  Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  I understand, thanks for the clarification.

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7. 72

   thisisoliposted 13 years ago

   Trackers are a way of referring users on hubpages. I would however say, avoid clicking any hubpages adverts.

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8. 85

   KCC Big Countryposted 13 years ago

   Once in a while MIGHT not set off alarm bells at Google, but does anyone know what the cutoff is?  No.  So, why chance it? Why chance clicking once too many that makes you or the other person (or BOTH) lose their account?

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9. 85

   KCC Big Countryposted 13 years ago

   To me, once you've signed on to participate in this kind of a program (Google Adsense) then you have to excuse yourself from being a consumer in that program.

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10. 85

    KCC Big Countryposted 13 years ago

    I wasn't accusing you of making a pact with anyone, but that's exactly what Google THINKS is happening and they have even more reason to believe that when we belong to the same group.  Get what I mean?

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    1. 91

       Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Unlikely, unless you are continually clicking on ads from the same publisher.
       
       I have been with Adsense since 2003 and have earned more than $50,000 in that time.  I have no hesitation whatsoever in clicking on any ad that interests me if it's running on someone else's site.   As that is hardly a daily occurrence and as it is unlikely to repeat on the same site, Google would have no reason to even begin to think that was fraud.
       
       Basically, unless you are click-happy, this is a total non-issue.  Yes, never click on your own ads.   Anyone else is fine unless you plan to make it a habit - and how likely is that unless you are up to no good?

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          darksideposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          You've been here three days. So there are some things that you are overlooking or don't yet understand.

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          1. 91

             Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             Friend, I have been here three days but I have been on the Internet since 1991 and have been earning money with Adsense since 2003.
             
             My statements are correct.  There is nothing to be concerned about.
             
             But believe what you will.

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                darksideposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                I see that you are blinded by your own brilliance.
                
                Like I said, there are things you have not yet learned and therefore do not understand.

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                1. 91

                   Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                   Fine.  If you think it's dangerous to click on other peoples pages, don't do it.
                   
                   But anyone else really doesn't need to worry about it unless they are constantly clicking away at the same site.

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       2. 72

          thisisoliposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          The reason clicking on other peoples hubpages adverts is because there may have been referral using a Hubpages tracker, this gives you a pretty good chance of clicking your OWN adsense ID.
          
          Going through the source may ormay not be a passable way of finding the url, I personally just google the name if the URL is not obvious!

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       Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       The question was asked, debated, and definitively answered yesterday, as far as I am concerned.

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          KCC Big Countryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          And my statement that you just quoted was from yesterday's conversation.   As I stated in my very first comment in this thread, "you'll find varying opinions on this".  I simply gave you mine.

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             Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             KCC, I only quoted you this from yesterday's conversation because Pcunix had done so a few minutes before (see above). I agreed with you yesterday, and was merely trying to express that - in spite of what Pcunix has now said - I am still in agreement with you today.

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                KCC Big Countryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                Website Examiner, I knew you realized that comment was from yesterday, but in case no one else looked to see when it was from, I didn't want them to get the wrong impression.
                
                I had given my opinion and it's still my opinion and it may not be worth much, but I still still stand by it.
                
                I only came back in to the conversation since Pcunix replied to me personally.  Perhaps he's got the scoop since he's been so successful with Adsense.  I certainly can't compete with those stats.

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                   Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                   Indeed. Thanks for the explanation.

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                   1. 85

                      KCC Big Countryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                      Anytime!

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11. 85

    KCC Big Countryposted 13 years ago

    If something truly interests you that much, find another way to research it.  There is usually enough information on the ad to help you find it in a normal Google search.  Sometimes the web address is even there.  Open another browser window and look it up, don't click through.  Again, just my opinion on how to safeguard yourself from being accused of click fraud by Google.

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    1. 0

       Website Examinerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks KCC, I appreciate your advice.

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          KCC Big Countryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          You're welcome Website Examiner.

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12. 63

    darksideposted 13 years ago

    1) Get in the habit of never clicking PPC ads. No exceptions. Apply the 'rather be safe than sorry' policy here.
    
    2) If you really, absolutely, positively have to click on an ad, do a right click and "Copy Link Location". Then copy and paste that into a Notepad text document.
    
    It will probably start with http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/, what you need to do is go through and see where the target domain is pointing to. So there'll be a bunch of textual mess before it, and some after it, and somewhere in there will be the domain that has bought the click and the URL where they're sending it.

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13. 0

    Website Examinerposted 13 years ago

    Thanks again. I have never deliberately clicked on any ads of other hubbers, but at least now I understand why it would be unwise to do so.

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14. 91

    Pcunixposted 13 years ago

    There's a simple solution. 
    
    Use "View Source" or whatever your browser calls it.  Every browser has this somewhere (well, not Safari on iPad and iPhone but everywhere else).
    
    Scan through the HTML until you see the ad.  Usually it's easiest to just search for text just before or just after the ad.
    
    Within all the Adsense gobbedlygook you'll see the actual link that it goes to.  Select and copy just  that and paste it into your browser to go there.
    
    This does NOT violate Adsense because you get no credit and no earnings from this.  I can't show you an example right now because I'm on my iPad but it's very simple.

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       Mishaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Yeah, you definitely know what you are talking about....

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          Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Yeah, I do know what I am talking about.
          
          If your browser does  have the option to "copy link location" as dark side suggested above, you can do that too, but not all browsers have that and copying to an editor is an extra step.
          
          Whichever way, if you select only the ultimate destination, you are not violating any policy.  Google doesn't care if you visit the advertiser, they just don't want your Adsense account getting credit.  It's as simple as that.

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             Mishaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             Try to follow your own instructions
             
             Adsense uses javascript, and you never ever be able to find an actual advertiser link in a page source code. More, on Hubpages ads are served by yieldbuild, so you won't find even javascript adsense code
             
             It is generally a good idea to get familiar with the topic yourself, before advising others.

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                Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                Oops.  Right you are.  I've been on this iPad so much I forgot that.
                
                Use the right click method.

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15. 85

    KCC Big Countryposted 13 years ago

    $50,000 in 7 years with Adsense? Awesome
    
    Guess that makes you the resident expert then.

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       jondavposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Its common sense really.
       
       Pcunix is correct.

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    2. 91

       Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       As there are people who make that much in a few months or less, I'd call them the experts.  I think my  Adsense success is mostly dumb luck and having a boatload of pages.

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