We've moved.
Visit our new home for news and updates from AdSense
Inside AdSense
Google's official blog for news, tips and information on AdSense.
Referral policies - clarified
Thursday, February 08, 2007
We've noticed some confusion over the program policies associated with referrals. Specifically, some publishers tell us they don't understand why we allow "explicit endorsement" for referral ads, but do not allow the same type of "unnatural attention" for our AdSense for content and AdSense for search ads. We thought we'd clarify our referrals program's policies and explain why we do not allow the same treatment for other Google ads.
First, referral ads are credited on a cost per action (CPA) basis. This means that there is a specific action such as an install for Google Pack that your visitors must complete before you generate earnings. The advertiser places a certain value on that action being completed, and is willing to pay you a percentage of that value. If you highlight the referral ad and encourage more people to complete the action, the value that the advertiser places on that action does not diminish.
For example, Google is willing to pay up to $2 for each new user who downloads and installs Google Pack. If you encourage people to download and install Pack on your site and the conversion rate goes up, we're happy to pay the additional cost, because it directly translates to more Pack users for us.
However, this isn't the case for most AdSense for content and AdSense for search ads, which are served on a cost per click (CPC) or cost per thousand impression (CPM) basis. It's generally harder for an advertiser to decide on a CPC/CPM value than it is to decide on a CPA value because multiple factors go into deciding the value of a click or impression. Encouraging clicks on these ads not only drives lower quality traffic to an advertiser’s site but provides poor data for an advertiser to make an appropriate bid on the click. This results in a poor experience for visitors and advertisers, which isn’t good for you as a publisher.
Additionally, you can endorse referral ads because you know the exact ad you are displaying on your site. You are offering your visitors genuine advice based on the products and services you think they'll like. However, with CPC ads you don't know which ads will show up -- it would be disingenuous for you to recommend the products or services in your ads in this case, which could result in visitors being misled.
Of course, publishers may never encourage people to click on any ad, including referrals, for deceptive purposes. For example, you can't ask visitors to click on a referral ad to make you money. Any endorsement or attention drawn to a referral ad must be done in a way that supports the intended use of the product or service associated with it.
In short, our policies on endorsing ads are based on our concern for the visitor, the advertiser, and the publisher. We strive to make AdSense work best for all our partners.
Posted by Dan Friedman - AdSense Product Marketing
Labels
#GlobalSpotlight
2
#SuccessStack
9
Active View
9
Ad formats
22
Ad layout
6
Ad Placement
2
AdSense
5
AdSense Anniversary
15
AdSense features
231
adsense guide
14
AdSense In Your City
22
AdSense Interface
61
AdSense Team
31
AdSense101
13
AMP
3
AskAdSense
4
Audience Engagement
4
Beginner's
1
Best Practice
22
Beta
1
Case studies
99
Certified Partners
4
Content strategy
23
DoubleClick
17
download
3
Earnings/Reports
70
eBook
3
Education
4
engagement
1
Facts and Fiction
11
FAQs
1
Feedback
10
Google Analytics
7
Google's Certified Publishing Partner
3
googlenew
13
Guest Blogger
4
Help
2
How to avoid policy violations
1
India
1
infographic
3
International
118
Learn with Google for Publishers
17
Matched content
6
micro-moments
5
Mobile
67
Mobile optimization
3
Multi-Screen
32
Native
1
native ads
4
Newbie
32
Optimal ad placement
1
Optimization
165
Other
245
Other Google products
106
Page-Level
1
PageSpeed
10
Pakistan
1
Passion into profit
8
Payments
62
Policy
2
Pop-Unders
1
Pop-Ups
1
Product update
11
Program Policies
79
Programmatic
1
Social
19
Support
10
Tips
37
Urdu
1
User Generated Content
1
Video
41
Viewability
13
Webinars
15
YouTube
3
Archive
2019
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
May
Feb
Jan
2018
Dec
Nov
Oct
Aug
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2017
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2016
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2015
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2014
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2013
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2012
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2011
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2010
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2009
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2008
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2007
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2006
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2005
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Feed
Subscribe to receive posts via email:
Visit this group
Follow @adsense
Useful links
Get started with AdSense
Sign in to your account
AdSense Help Center
AdSense Help Forum
Related Google products
AdMob: Monetize your app
DoubleClick for Publishers Small Business
Google AdWords
Google Analytics
Give us feedback in our
Product Forums
.
