Many Smaller Sites Violating Google AdSense TOS By Encouraging Visitors to Click

[mandy]

Scott Karp realizes he needs help if he's ever going to collect any of the revenue he earns participating in Google's AdSense advertising program...

What Karp and a growing number of other Web site operators do, in actuality, is leave a note on their sites encouraging visitors to click on Google-placed ads, especially the ones that actually interest them...

AdSense participants can only collect when their accounts exceed $100...

While the Internet's dotted with testimonials of AdSense profits, the growing numbers asking for tips speaks to how many more Web site operators will never reach the $100 figure, and therefore collect their revenue share. Rather, Google keeps it all...

Tipping poses a complex problem for Google. For one, it's a version of click fraud,...

full article: http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1945521,00.asp

[jezebel]

AdSense participants can only collect when their accounts exceed $100.

I don't understand why small sites put AdSense on their sites.  Don't they read the TOS and see the $100?

[maryrussel]

Because, if they never had a website before they tend to be overly optimistic. I put mine on when the website was new and just never seem to have gotten around to taking them off.

[bargainbloodhound]

Because, if they never had a website before they tend to be overly optimistic.

That's what Google, Commission Junction, and many affiliate programs count on.  They know they can get their site or products advertised on 1000s of web sites without ever paying most of the sites because the average web site will never make the minimum.

It would be nice if Google and affiliate programs would tell people they might never see a check, but that will never happen.

That said, I definitely think that sites that ask/encourage their visitors to click on ads are committing click fraud (and something tells me that advertisers that get a bunch of garbage traffic, i.e. visitors with no interest in their products, as a result of the clicks probably agree)

[mandy]

While the Internet's dotted with testimonials of AdSense profits, the growing numbers asking for tips speaks to how many more Web site operators will never reach the $100 figure, and therefore collect their revenue share. Rather, Google keeps it all...

One example of a site owner who has yet to receive any money from AdSense: eBay blogger Randy Smythe:

I've had Google AdSense on My Blog Utopia, for a year and 2 months and I still haven't reached my $100 payout threshold...

full article: http://rksmythe.blogspot.com/2008/02/my-...story.html