Have you seen anything like this?

[suzjor]

Here is what I saw after logging into my account this morning:
connectingxxxx.com X 5 71.43% $0.00 $0.00

I don't know exactly what I can put from Google so basically I have this one website (right we have almost 100 city guides live) and we got 5 clicks with $0.00. Now...this website hasn't been around that long and at this time had only 2 visitors. So it appears it got 5 clicks from 1 visitor who was browing in our food & dining section. I'm baffled as to why 5 clicks and why $0.00. My clicks range from lowest 1cent to high around $2.75. It just put a red flag up for me. I've never seen this before. Any ideas? My first thought was a Google public service ad but WHY would someone click on it 5 times.

[BinkyMelnik]

suzjor:

I'm baffled as to why 5 clicks and why $0.00

(thinking) Perhaps Google's got in place software that noticed immediately that all five clicks came from one person, and zeroed 'em all out?

Reason it dawns on me is that my AdSense typically got zero-one click per day, up until one day when I got 32, then returned to zero-one again. That freaked me out, and then a week later, my AdSense account was yanked. (Got the boilerplate "click fraud" message.) Made me wonder whether someone up to no good went and clicked a buncha my ads. This happened in May, when a lotta people I know also got their AdSense accounts yanked, too. Like me, they also were making pitiful earnings (if "earnings" can be used in this context).

Next couple months, it continued this way. Nowadays, I don't know many people with AdSense accounts anymore. Like me, these people didn't look at their AdSense accounts very often, either, so most of 'em don't know whether they also had a "blip day" like I had. But since peoples' accounts have been getting pulled left and right, it's been making me wonder whetehr Google's got some new software, and they're watching like a hawk.

Hell; I heard about one fellow who got his AdSense account pulled the same month get got it.

I dunno; maybe I'm talking out my ass, but I've wondered about this ever since it happened. If the're able to stop click fraud as soon as it happens, that'd explain your $0.00.

Then again, I recently read a lenthy article arguing why click fraud is *good* for Google, and why they don't really give a rat's ass about it, so maybe I'm all wet. Maybe they just wanna weed out folks like me who're just accounting headaches and keep the people who bring in the big bux.

[suzjor]

Thanks Binky. I did email Google to see what was up. We'll see. My account is pretty new but we made a 34% increase from the previous month. Of course, as we continue to add more city websites, I'm hoping to increase even more and not be one of those pitiful accounts.

I just found it odd but what you say does make sense. I'm sure it came from just one person but that person when to about 7 pages within our food & dining section and I guess was clicking on the ads. Who knows! And how in the world can you stop someone you don't know from clicking on ads like that. What a mess.

Thanks again!

[BinkyMelnik]

suzjor:

that person when to about 7 pages within our food & dining section and I guess was clicking on the ads

I've been to sites where a lot of the AdSense ads were interesing and I wanted to click several, but having lost my AdSense account, I ironically DIDN'T click all the ones I was interested in because I was afraid of getting the owner in trouble. (How crazy is that? We sit around praying for good contextual ads that folks will WANT to click, and we get 'em, and then people like me who've been burned don't wanna do any harm 'cause we know what it's like, so we try NOT to click.)

Granted, I'm overly sensitive; I go out of my way to try not to make others' lives miserable if I can help it. And when it comes right down to it, it's silly. I can just hear the imaginary conversation:

Site owner: It was YOU who caused me to lose my AdSense account!
Bink: But your ads were *really* interesting! I *had* to click!
Site owner: I'm ruined, all because of you and your curiosity!

I dunno; like I said, maybe I'm all wet. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe you were showing public service ads. I'm just trying to make sense out of stuff that doesn't seem to make sense.

[suzjor]

thanks for the laugh. I know exactly what you mean!!!

[Gevorg]

Well, as an AdWord user i can tell that Google counts multiple clicks from the same person as valid. At least i was charged for multiple clicks from the same person. Do not see why would not be AdSence credited.

suzjor:

WHY would someone click on it 5 times

You would not belive what people do on internet. Sometimes it goes against any logic. Just get used to it.

[xeno]

People dont like your site, or they are competitors, they will click away to get you banned or drive up their competitors costs.

[Vern]

Hey you know ... that sorta makes sense.

Now don't anyone go clicking on your top 5 most hated sites...

just spend time on making money rather than hijacking someone..

[webzenstar]

This is an interesting thread.

Perhaps you could look into the label of the domain names you operate to see if (knowingly or not) you're infringing (or allegedly infringing) on anyone else's trademarks.

The word on the street is that Google doesn't wish to place ads on such "lagally risky" web site anymore.

AdSense is getting more sophisticated everyday, people.

[vangogh]

I get a few of those $0.00 clicks sometimes. I think I got one yesterdy. I figure it's one of three possibilites.

1. Google decided the click was invalid, though I was under the impression if they did they would catch it before it registered as a click.

2. It was just a really low paying ad. Maybe a 5 center and my share of the pie was under a penny or even under half a penny so while I technically made something it's not enough to show up yet. I'll need another one of those half penny payouts to see it.

3. The click was on one of the public service ads which don't pay out anythng. That's the most likely case to me. Unless you actively block them Google will sometimes place a public service ad on your site like for Hurricaine Katrina relief. I think it's only when they don't have another ad to deliver.

With those spikes that got you banned. I've heard of a few people getting them, but then reporting it themselves to Google. I think alerting Google earned them some credit if they got the 'click fraud email' and they were able to get back into the program.

[charlesgan]

Originally Posted by Gevorg

Well, as an AdWord user i can tell that Google counts multiple clicks from the same person as valid. At least i was charged for multiple clicks from the same person. Do not see why would not be AdSence credited.

suzjor:
You would not belive what people do on internet. Sometimes it goes against any logic. Just get used to it.

multiple clicks from single person wont give advertiser mutiply income.

when seeing the log that the visitors making so many clicks, and earn ing the same rate as single clicks. that the rought figures i had.

[charlesgan]

Originally Posted by charlesgan

multiple clicks from single person wont give advertiser mutiply income.

when seeing the log that the visitors making so many clicks, and earn ing the same rate as single clicks. that the rought figures i had.

correction: multiple clicks from single person wont give 'web PUBLISHER' mutiply income.