Google Adsense Click Fraud

Considering the money to be made with Adsense, it is no wonder that they would want to get back into it.
It is that same consideration why the Google Adsense click fraud is thought of and why many people are getting into it.
Click fraud is the act of clicking on ads for the purpose of costing the advertiser money. It is simply the same as paying out cash for false leads. Many people website owners are aware of this fraud and are sharing the same sentiment that this is the one big problem that Adsense is facing.
How do you prevent being involved in this fraud?
Majority of web hosts are offering access logs. Once this is offered to you, it is necessary that you hand it over to Google as well. This allows them to look for any suspicious activity on your site. Problems like this are very serious and giving it to them is saying that you would want to help them in any way you can in solving the problem.
It can also help if you have a click monitoring software. If you do not have one yet, you should try and get one. There is absolutely no major factor preventing you from having one because most of this software is free.
As usual, all the information you have received should be turned over to Google. This is showing Google that you too are fighting against click frauds and is in no way a part of it.
Study your server logs and watch for any activity that seems suspicious. Report anything that you may find odd, may it big or small thing.
You may want to consider disabling ads for your own IP address and local geographic area. This will certainly prevent accidents and will not make Google mistake another user as you. You can do through a htaccess file. This will avoid Google mistaking as clicking on your own ads and be kicked out because of it.
Keep your Adsense off on pop ups and pop unders.
Your ads should not be displayed on content sites that promote illegal activity or tampering of the legal rights of other people or business. Included in this are the content that is considered adult and gambling ones. If you think that you may be breaking this rule, immediately remove your content or Adsense from the web page.
Be truthful and confess up to Google about times when you might have clicked on your own as, whether accidentally or intentionally. Or the times when you have done something that is against the Terms of Service that they are implementing. Be honest about anything that you may have done that is wrong. Confessing is way better than Google learning about it eventually. It would mean eventual termination and no getting back what you have worked so hard for.
Do not tell your family or friends about Adsense on your website. Chances are they may start clicking on them to help you make money without you knowing it. They may be doing more harm to you than help by trying it in the first place.
If ever someone you know chanced upon your Adsense, make sure they understand that they cannot click on your ads under any circumstances. It would be wise to brief them on important things about Adsense and what not to do with them.
Most pay per click networks have different measures in hand to protect website owners against click frauds. Other search engines can track more than 50 data points, IP address, browser’s information, users session info and pattern recognition. They also have ’systems’ available that detects fraud. Not to mention the specialized teams monitoring how things are going and helping advertisers stop click frauds.
Google offers suggestion on how to avoid click fraud. Using ‘negative keywords’ can be used to keep your Adsense showing on products and services that are in no way related to yours. Adding tracking URLs to your links so you can track the traffic coming from Google.

Adsense Tips and Tricks

Many websites out there are informative and attractive, but the only (and ofcourse the biggest) concern for webmasters is “how to make money with my website”. There are many publisher programs, but the following piece of text will focus on making money with Google Adsense program.
Steps to Increase Google CTR which means more money:
[a]. Strictly adhere to the google Polices and TOS. If you are not aware, here it is
https://www.google.com/adsense/policies?hl=en_US
[b]. Do not alter the Google Adsense code
[c]. Do not ask your friends or visitors to click on your Google ads. Do not offer incentives for users to click on google ads. Don’t label the Google ads with text other than “Sponsored Links” or “Advertisements”
[d]. Do not click on your own ads. Google can find it out easily and if it does, your account will be banned and all your money earned is gone. Do not reload your pages excessively. If you are testing your website layout with Google Adsense, you can try the google adsense preview tool. Google does not account any clicks made in the ads displayed in the preview tool.
[e]. Do not place google ads in pop-up windows, error pages or even empty pages.
[f]. Don’t start a website merely for making money from accidental clicks like “mesothelioma attorney” or “asbestos crisis”. You will never make money out these “made-for-adsense-only” websites. Instead, write on topics what you are passionate about. Don’t waste your money on high-paying adsense keywords lists.
[g]. For short content/articles, CTR(click through rate) is best when ads are placed just above the content
[h]. For long articles, CTR improves if ads are placed somewhere in middle of the content, as visitors read the long content and then they are looking for more resources.
[i]. Use Text Ads instead of Image Ads as users get more options. If you still want to display image ads, consider ad formats that support image ads. Statistics say that the 336×280, 300×250 medium rectangle or the 160×600 wide skyscraper works excellent, if you display multiple ad units on a page.
[j]. Reports tell that the following ad format/attributes works best,
border color = background color of your web site
background color = background color of your web site
link color = blue, color of your links
url color = black, #999999
text color = black, #333333, color of your main content
[k]. Always put ads above the main fold. Just have the following heatmap as a reference before placing your ads on your pages.
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/internet/google-heatmap-2.htm
[l]. Placing images next to ads or above ads does help in attracting user attention, But google does not recommend.
[m]. Blend AdLinks with other navigation links or place horizontal adlinks at the top of your webpage. AdSense publishers are permitted to click on link unit topics on their web pages, provided that they do not click on any Google ads on the resulting page.
[n]. Request your friends or colleagues to navigate your website, watch their activity, it will provide vital clues about which regions on your website draw more user attention. Try putting ads near those areas.
[o]. You can put upto 3 adsense units on a page. Try putting a large skyscraper on the right navigation sidebar of your website. That area is close to the browser scrollbar. You can also add 2 AdSense for search boxes, 1 adlink unit and 1 referral button per product (i.e., 1 AdSense referral button and 1 Firefox plus Google Toolbar referral button).
[p]. The first few lines of your content are an important factor for determining what Ads are served on your webpage. That’s the right place to put keywords in bold (strong or <b> tags) or header tags (h1, h2, etc).
[q]. Always select the setting to open Google Adsense search box results in a new browser window, so you won’t lose your visitors. Click the Open search results in a new browser window checkbox and this add target=”google_window” to your form tag.
[r]. Maximum people think the search box is on the top right corner. So you know where to put it.
[s]. Don’t syndicate full content in your RSS. If people can read everything from the newsreader window itself, why would they visit your website where your ads are.
[t]. Use URL channels to determine performance of individual pages. I track my most popular pages with Google Analytics, Statcounter and create a channel for each of the URL. You can even track Adsense Clicks with Analytics
[u]. For low CTR pages, try changing titles or adding more content to get better focused ads
[v]. Block low paying advertisers with Filters. Why to loose a visitor for 0.01 cents. Use Overture or Google Adwords Keywords tool to discover keywords that are less popular with advertisers.
[w]. The AdSense for search Top Queries report shows you what your users are looking for, by listing the 25 most common searches conducted through your AdSense for search boxes. Use this report to identify additional topics to add to your site, or to keep track of your most sought-after information. Focus and improve that content.
[x]. Not everyone has an RSS reader. Use RSS to Email services like FeedBlitz, Bloglet or Rmail to let users subscribe to your blog by email.
[y]. Try experimenting until you get highest CTR. Placement of ads depends from site to site. What is good for Yahoo is not best for google. So, try try until you find a good CTR
[z]. Use a Tracking website like Google Analytics or Sitemeter to track your visitors and see what keywords they have been searching and use it to your advantage :)

How to Maximize Ad Revenue on a Website

Have a website ? Confused on how to make dough through it ? Read on …
Contextual advertisers include Yahoo Publisher Network, Google, and Adbrite. These ads usually display a link followed by some description text or the url of the link.Placement,theme and various factors contribute to the overall earning potential of a website.Here are some guidelines to follow whilst you just post through it.

• Make sure you place the ad correctly. Ads that people can’t see won’t be clicked on, so make sure the ads are located in a prime spot that will generate interest. The best spots for an ad is on the top fold of the webpage, meaning the viewer can see the ad without having to scroll. But not on the very top, most people don't look there
• Consider linking text. This helps to make the ad stand out more and gives a better chance for the viewer to actually read the ads. Secondly, since the ads are embedded within the text, it’s harder for the viewer to miss. Ads located on the sides are oftentimes looked over, which is exactly what you don't want visitors to do.
• Put small, relevant images next to your ads. This has been show to increase ad revenue because this attracts attention to the ads, and people are tricked into thinking that the picture is content related to the ad. Google Adsense allows this method (somewhat, however, some images placed next to ads can violate Google TOS, ask Google before adding images next to ads), however Yahoo Publisher Network does not allow it. Read the TOS on certain publishers to get more info on whether this is allowed or not.
• Make the ads relevant. The best part of contextual advertising is that the ads are relevant to your site (Adbrite does not have this feature, they just put up generic network ads). Google and Yahoo both target their ads decently well, but Google Adsense definitely has the best ads that are relevant to your site. To increase ad relativity, make sure the keywords that you want ads for are repeated throughout. For example, if you wanted to display ads related to “making money” you would repeat the phrase making money many times on my page. If you want to be making money, and making money is what you want, then make sure that you are making money by implementing these ads well. It’s also best to spread your keywords throughout the page instead of concentrated in one area like above.
• Keep to one theme. This kind of ties in with making your ads relevent, but make sure your website concentrates one one certain type of category. For example, GameSpot.com is a site that focuses on games, while IGN.com has sections over games, movies, comics, cars, etc. GameSpot, if they used Google Adsense, would be serving the most relevent ads - gaming ads. While IGN, if they used Google Adsense, would be serving ads about all sorts of things because they have so many sectors. If a gamer goes on IGN and sees an ad about Japanese Movies, they probably won’t be enticed to click. Of course, these statements are just theoretically speaking, the main point is that if your website is focused on one topic, the ads will be better served to your target audience. If you have a website that covers many things, it will be harder to generate ads that interest your users.
• Do your research. Each publisher allows you to create separate channels for your ads so you can track how each individual ad unit is doing. Look over your ads and see which ones are performing the best, and then make a judgment as to which ads you should keep and which ones you should alter or get rid of. Constantly looking over your statistics is a key factor to increasing your ad revenue.

Improve Google Page Rank and Alexa Ranking

Showing up on search engines is one of the most critical ways to increase website traffic and expose your content, product or service to people who might be interested in what you have to offer. Most of the major search engines utilize an algorithm to determine where a website ranks.Google uses Pagerank system and Alexa uses various criteria’s to rank your position in related searches.A proven but little-known way to improve your page rank with Google and your Alexa ranking for new web authors is here for you.
Steps

1. Build a website. NVU is an easy free WYSIWYG html editor or use a simple blogging platform like blogger,typepad or wordpress.
2. Make sure that your site is optimized for the search engines and that all meta tags and robot tags are constructed properly.
3. Focus building your site on original and unique content. Once Internet users start to appreciate and see the value in your website, they will begin linking to it.
4. Submit your site map to Google to have all of your pages indexed.
5. Submit to the main search engines, Yahoo, Google, MSN and any others that you prefer.
6. Go to your favorite search engines and type in "social bookmark sites".
7. Submit your site and any other favorite sites to as many social bookmark sites that you like.
8. Submit your site to as many directories as you can, specially to those with high page rank like DMOZ or yahoo directory or to any smaller directory with lower page rank.
9. Update your site frequently adding new content that keeps users returning to your site.

This method is two-pronged because not only will you get better positions in searches for your keywords, you are also going to receive one way inbound links for your website which will improve your search engine rankings.Add your website address sparingly to social bookmarking and wiki sites. Users who over-indulge in self-promotion will be perceived as spammers which may result in your website being added to blacklists or, even worse, your efforts to be simply ignored.Beware of duplicate content. Always make sure to check the content that you get by searching for the content on Google, Yahoo, and MSN.Be original and blog original. And just in case if you are copying from other blogs or websites,then do give a reference or link to the original source.

Increase Alexa Rank

If you have attempted to sell advertising on your website, you have probably heard of Alexa. Alexa is a company that ranks websites based on traffic. They get their information primarily from the Alexa Toolbar, a free, downloadable browser add-on.
Advertisers often consider Alexa rank when deciding whether to advertise on a website, so it's important to your visitors are counted,so that you make more bucks off…
Tempted ? Keep reading..
Here’s how to Do that
Install the Alexa widget on your website - It shows your Alexa rank to anyone who visits and ensures that each visit to your site is counted.
Encourage your site’s visitors to install the Alexa Toolbar - This will ensure that every day that they visit your website, Alexa will count it and incorporate the information into your Alexa rank.

Home Page Matters - Ask your visitors to make your site their browser’s home page. You could even include instructions on how to do this with different browsers. Bring them back with incentives. Regularly updated and informative content is a great incentive for visitors to keep coming back for more.
Alexa Autosurfs - Try Alexa autosurf programs or link trains. These often bring substantial improvement in the short term, but not so much in the long term. They are best for new websites.
Keep in Mind

• You want your Alexa rank numbers to go down, not up. An Alexa rank of 100,000 or lower is the most attractive to advertisers, but many are interested in advertising on sites with higher numbers as well.
• Link trains are frowned upon by some search engines. It’s up to you to decide whether increasing your Alexa rank is worth the risk.
• If you are also interested in increasing your Google PageRank, you’ll need regular links coming in as well,hence get backlinks by commenting in other people’s blog or by link exchange.

The 10 SEO tips to Optimize your website

Making a website is easy,but making it survive through the Wild Wild Web is quite a formidable task. I have seen many potential websites crumble and vanish through the web in a short span of time,and today I will be sharing my knowledge with you. I have followed the 10 simple rules which have allowed me to get the love of my readers in such a short time and have made ProHack more than a name in the web.These tips will allow you to optimize your website’s SEO and guarantee increase in web traffic. These are comprised with the most common mistakes which lead to a website going kaput (oh wait..there are solutions as well :P),and mind it,give it a read and you are good to go with your website.
Great Content
Great websites drive great traffic by delivering the best they have to offer.Generate great content,if not,recycle great content by permission,and do include links to the original article if you are “borrowing” it or “remixing” it. Also,hunt at article sites like Wikipedia,Wikihow,Ehow and keep your digital ears and eyes open for the latest news. Sometime by  getting the fresh news and delivering it first gets you loads of traffic.I blogged about King of Fighters 12 and Resident Evil 5 almost instantly and was instantly hailed by my dearest readers.Great content helps you to stand out against your competitors.
Here is the bottom line –

GREAT READABLE CONTENT IS THE SOUL OF A WEBSITE

Directory submissions
Have a great website ? well you would probably like to get noticed fast,submit your site to DMOZ,Alexa,and major Search  engine players like Google,Yahoo or you can use automated submission software and sites like IBP Arelis and more. Include your site to other famous web directories like Blogcatalog.Get noticed,get traffic,make money and get paid.
Meta Madness
Optimize your meta tags and code to reflect what your website does. Meta tags are read by search engines,the grand daddies of the web site mumbo-jumbo so you better be specific. A meta description of 150 words and 12 keywords is ideal for a website. Be creative and be different. Remember there are a lot of copy cats around so try to be unique and make your site stand out.
you can edit the meta description by going to the code and adding the Description,keywords/tags,and author attributes.

<meta content=' Enter your site Description Here ' name=' description'/>
<meta content=' Enter upto 10-12 Keywords Here ' name='keywords'/>
<meta content=' Enter Author name Here ' name='author'/>

and add it to the head section of your code.
Make Them Subscribe
Now you are driving some visitors to your website and are all set to take the big leap. Well make sure you have RSS or ATOM feeds enabled to your blog or website. Its the basic requirement for any website to have an automated system to deliver its updates to its loyal readers. You can use feed integrating services like Feedburner or Feedblitz to cater your feeds to your readers.add this code to your head section of your website -

<link href='http://www.yourwebsitenamehere.com/rss.xml' rel='alternate' title='nameofwebsite' type='application/rss+xml'/>

Add the big Orange button of feed subscription on top of your website,readers tend to click on the infectious orange button for feed subscriptions. Also offer email updates and just never let your website readers go to any other site for the content you offer.
Keyword Orientation
This is one of the most basic techniques,use your website’s main keywords in your content and articles. however be   vary,dont overdo it,else search  engines will consist your site a spam site. However controlled keyword management enables your website to get good search engine rankings as it relates your site to the services you offer. Include keywords in headlines and generate keyword rich relevant content and you will be set to go. Be specific and creative while choosing keywords. You can use phrases if you are short of words.Here is a simple rule -

KEYWORDS ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF YOUR CAMPAIGN

Link Management
Its simple as hell and yet most of people get it wrong. DONT MAKE YOUR SITE A LINK FARM . Always link to related websites but add a nofollow attribute to it so search engines don't read it. Include inlinks,that is the links to your own website and articles connected using keywords. Make sure to decorate your keywords by adding a title to your keywords

for ex -

Wrong Method - Link with no explanation or title – PROHACK
The correct method of displaying Link - PROHACK

using inlinks have a great plus point,it makes your reader wander in your site and doesn't makes him go away unless your site is short of good content,something which you cant lack in any condition.
Also try to get links from other websites as maximum as possible,be an active member in forums,put the link of your website in your forum signature and let it roll.
The Layout
Make sure your site has a clean layout with ads well hidden and blended in the template.Include your profile link or an about page and brag about yourself (literally).Proper feed subscription buttons and eye soothing color theme has a great mental effect on your visitor.Keep your website aesthetic and have a clean interface for navigation. if your website has a long scrolling problem,cut it short by adjusting height or include a “back to top of page button”.  Make your visitors feel right at home when they are your webpage and they will return the favor by visiting again and again and again :) Add ALT and TITLE attributes to images so incase if they are not displayed or rendered by the browser,the reader shall get the idea what was there.Use images to your advantage,use flash only if it is necessary and make sure it loads up well and matches with all available flash versions. I have seen websites pucker and say that I don't have the latest flash version while I was having just one version older. That pissed me off and many others. Don't let it happen to you.
Convertible traffic
Now here comes the concept of convertible traffic,time is precious and everybody looks for related stuff in order to save time. Save your readers time by offering them related links and articles alongside your article,in that way you will be a great resource and a honeypot for your readers.Convert your traffic to useful bucks by offering them relavent ads well blended and well placed in the site.Make sure to reply to comments and get feedback from time to time in order to be in touch with your readers.SMS your loyal subscribers about your updates using Google alerts or any other service. I have implemented the sms update service on my blog. You can join and get the latest updates of my website from here
Friendship counts
Yup..make friends,both with readers and other webmasters. Ask for LINK EXCHANGE FROM SITES WITH HIGHER PAGERANK AND RANKING.Comment frequently on well maintained blogs,leave your links by permission and invite them to comment and post articles on your blog.This will help maintain good relations with other bloggers. Exchange SEO techniques and you can even host their ads on your website and yours on them.  
Make sure to Reply to comments left by your readers.This way they will feel they are being heeded and are following a professional website.
Social Bookmarks
Get free publicity from social bookmarks. Encourage your users to bookmark your content and share it the way they like. Allow them to remix and adapt your content and make sure you do get a backlink for that (You sure deserve it :P). Embed feed and sharing widgets in your site and use them to your advantage. Make a brand name for yourself using these tools.
Today an average internet surfer is very intelligent and likes to share and link up everything he gets with his near and dear ones..Urge him to share up your views and ideas.Digg,Stumble,Reddit your ideas and articles regularly and be an active member in these communities.