1. Commit Google Don’ts
The first thing to avoid is any of the Google Don’ts. Cloaking, keyword stuffing, and title stacking are all ways to get banned from Google searches. They’re also ways to get banned from AdSense.
2. Click on Your Own Ads
No matter how tempting, never ever click on your own ads. This is probably the easiest way to get your site suspended or banned. It’s a form of click fraud, and Google is very good at catching this, even if you think you’re hiding your tracks.
3. Hide Your Ads
It might be tempting to hide your ads by making them the same color as your background or camouflaging them on areas with busy background images. You do still get paid for pageviews, so invisible ads would still pay, right? Don’t even try it. This violates Google’s Terms of Service, and it’s easy to get caught.
4. Beg for Clicks
Don’t hold ad-click contests, beg, or even give big hints that people should click on your ads. They can ban you if they catch you begging for clicks anywhere on the Web, including pages that are totally unrelated to your AdSense pages.
5. Alter the Code
AdSense generates javascript code that you can copy-and-paste directly into the HTML of your Web page. If you need to change the color or size of your ads, generate new code from AdSense. Don’t make changes to the code from your Web page editing program or tweak it by hand.
6. Use Robots to Click on Your Site
Never use any sort of automated tool to inflate your page views or click on your ads. This is click fraud of the highest order, and Google is very sophisticated at catching this. This is a trick that can easily get you banned.
7. Tell People How Much You Earn Per Click
Google is very picky about how much you disclose about how AdSense works. They don’t let you tell people how much you were paid per keyword, because this could jeopardize revenue from AdWords advertisers. Beware of anyone who offers to sell you this information.
8. Make Pages Specifically to Display Ads
Google says you can’t make pages simply to hang ads, “whether or not the page content is relevant.” Many Web sites, including About.com, make money from ads. Google itself makes most of its money from advertising. What makes the difference between ad sponsored content and content for the sake of ads?
9. Make Content About Taboo Topics
Google has a strict list of content standards, and they don’t accept AdSense on pages that are violating them. These include, among other things, sites that promote or sell:
- alcohol
- certain weapons
- firearms
- tobacco
- drugs
- designer knock-offs
This is a silly rule to violate, because AdSense is keyword generated, so it’s amazingly easy for you to get caught. If you do have content that violates these rules, such as a beer-making supply store, they may be legitimate sites, but AdSense is not for you.
10. Cheat in Any Other Way
This isn’t by any means a comprehensive list.