Traffic Exchange and Short Cuts will lose your Adsense Account
By Mark Ewbie
I’m writing this because I have seen a number of HubPage writers recently talk about losing their Adsense accounts.
A common theme among these writers is that they signed up for what they thought was a good idea only to be banned by Google a few days later.
They saw a site that offered a way to increase their traffic and thought it would be worth a try. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? It might not work?
Unfortunately they can have a much worse effect than that.
Google are quite clear in their terms and conditions as to the behaviour that is expected but there are a couple of problems.
One problem is that T’s and C’s are usually long winded, incomprehensible in places and frankly boring.
The other is that it is not always obvious that the dodgy web site promising more traffic is going to make you liable to some kind of Google penalty.
So here’s my rules – I’ll try to keep them very simple. Well, they are very simple.
Don’t Cheat
Google are experts in this game. They have to be.
No sooner does someone invent something on the internet then an army of people attempt to get around it.
If Google was not brilliant at detecting fraud it would have no advertising business left.
So the best assumption for an average person is that you cannot win by cheating. This is not just a case of gaining extra either. It’s a case of being permanently lifetime banned if you screw up.
Where’s the cost benefit analysis in that?
My recommendation to anyone tempted to take a short cut is don’t.
Dodgy Traffic Websites
There are dodgy websites on the internet.
Really?
Well, blow me down.
Seriously, there are a host of crooked sites out there. For myself, I don’t trust any of them. Not one.
Any site that is offering a chance to get more traffic is automatically, in my opinion, not worth going near.
The link building, traffic exchanging, paid to view sites are not for me. I’d rather play the slow game of writing content and eventually building natural traffic, than taking a chance on a short cut.
Go and read the sad stories of people, some of whom have been writing for years, who thought they would try one of these sites. How they lost their account within days.
Think About the Advertising Game
Advertisers pay Google for hosting their adverts.
They do this in a few ways but essentially we are talking about views and visits.
If these views and visits lead to an increase in business the advertiser is happy, and Google is happy.
Cheating by increasing artificial views and visits means the advertiser is being ripped off. That’s stealing basically. It’s a crime, but one of those crimes that some people might justify by saying – it’s only advertisers.
Well, it’s not. It’s companies – trying to make a profit, employing people, providing a service – who want a way to advertise themselves.
They do not need crooks trying to cream a bit of the revenue off. Neither do Google. If the crime was successful the whole model starts to fail.
That could be the end of Google advertising.
So if it smells like cheating then it is.
But I Want Traffic Now
I don’t get a whole lot of traffic. Even now, after a year I probably disappoint some of my search visitors.
In return the number of search visitors disappoints me.
But what I get is normal, organic search traffic. People typed something in and found me.
If I cheated by using a traffic exchange or similar I might get a temporary boost of artificial views.
Then I’d get banned.
If you want more traffic, and who doesn’t, then you just need to continue writing. Improve your content and your offering. Eventually, if you stick at it, and it’s a slow long game, you may get more traffic.
Work hard and be patient. Probably not the message anyone really wants to hear.
A Good Internet Offer
So to sum up.
Next time you type in “ways to get more traffic” the only page result you need is some boring blurb like this that says write better stuff.
Everything else that offers guaranteed results, exchanges, auto links, or indeed, any traffic improvement is going to either rip you off or get you banned.
Perhaps instead of searching for the more traffic thing you could search for ways people lost their Adsense account.
A lot of decent honest writers tried a short cut and got burned.
Don’t risk it.
Comments
Nice guide and Nice drawings. Keep it up.
Good advice. Don't worry, Mark, you'll get there, and in the mean time, I certainly hope the average writer heeds your message about not trying to artificially increase traffic. It doesn't work (Google takes you down, fast!), and further--it's intensely annoying stuff that interferes with people Googling something because they want some info. Which is also everyone.
I used something called "Plug A Link" on at least one hub before I knew wtf it was or what I was doing.
I emailed staff about the site to ask....I didn't know what a traffic exchange was, but something about the whole deal seemed a bit "off" to me - luckily all that seems to have turned out okay.
I think that if something seems fishy - then it probably IS fishy, and shouldn't be used.
Captain Obvious here...out!
Great Hub, Mark!
Like all get rich quick schemes,there is usually more money in it for the ones that lure you in...not the ones who get caught holding the ropes and lose their accounts! I steer clear of any attempt to artificially get more traffic, it would just be stressful. Best to enjoy writing and develop those skills! That said, learning how to attract organic searches is interesting, however, it just takes time as you pointed out!
You are absolutely right, organic traffic is better. Thanks for writing this hub!
Short and too the point Mark. The truth in your hub rings so true and I have read in the Adsense forum of people complaining how hard it was to get approved then the same people complain that the were banned. Hmmm....
It is a tug of war in some sense, some days you are there in relevant form other days you wonder if you even existed.
Sounds like good information. Thanks for this hub.
This is a really interesting hub, on something I feel very muddled about. I’ve done very little promoting of my hubs, because I’ve been so unclear what is spamming and what is not.
I’d be really grateful if you could explain a little more about traffic exchange sites - do you mean that sites such as redgage are best avoided? (I ask because I signed up to it recently, but googling it just now I see it is classed as a traffic exchange.)
Thanks Melovy, and I wish I could give you a definitive answer on Redgage, or indeed any other site.
The only info I have is witnessing other writers complaining that after years of writing and trying a short cut they got banned from Adsense. I don't know which short cuts are allowed and which are not. I do know that traffic exchanges are not allowed, and that some sites try to claim they are not traffic exchanges when they are.
I also know that none of my pages are linked by me in any way, and one or two of them get some traffic. Because they are reasonably written (maybe) and on subjects people search for. Therefore, for me, my effort will go into writing alone, nothing else.
Other people may be full of praise for Redgage - I am not qualified to comment. But I would research hard and long before risking my account.
I think it's pretty simple. Google says to ask yourself if what you are about to do is for the benefit of your readers or are you doing it in hopes of SERP. If the latter, don't do it. Period.
It's hardly difficult to understand, right?
Thanks Pcunix. I think that is a perfect way to answer the question. Says it all.
Thanks Mark for your prompt reply and explanation. I didn’t even know what a backlink was when I joined HP, so it was very easy to get totally confused. I’m definitely a writer first and last.
@ Pcunix, thanks also for clarifying.
I guess at least it's safe to post my photos on Redgage and earn the odd cent along the way!
voted up. very good and informative hub. I've learned that it's important in the blogging/hubbing world to be more like the tortoise then the hare :-)
Sound hub, Mark ... to be obvious, we all know there is no such thing as the proverbial free lunch so there will always be something that comes back and bites you in the bum. (Mixed metaphors, sorry).
I have decided that there is so much underhand and criminal activity out there in the cyber world that I just keep my head down and my fingers on the keyboard ... I tell myself that writing is its own reward ... and try to believe it.
A wise course of action Angie. Although "we all know", it's surprising just how many people don't.
Pcunix 5 months ago
Unfortunately, to many people want shortcuts. Some get away with it for a short time and then we find them crying in the forums.
Mark is right. Stay away from that junk. Also, don't expect them to say "We're a traffic exchange site!". Most have stopped announcing that so boldly, but they are still doing the same things they always were. Just say No!