Its no secret that Google is often in breach of its own TOS, with no content above the fold etc. made for adsense pages( how about whole niches made for Adsnse G?) but $#%@# does almost every download site these days has to have a giant DOWNLOAD BUTTON that is actually an ad while your real download button is barely noticeable. This after a dozen years of TOS?.....evil robot....grumble
netmeg
4:19 pm on Mar 18, 2015 (gmt 0)
This is not AdSense policy, it's AdWords policy. You can complain about them here:
They have been allowing the download ads for years, so I don't expect that to change anytime soon. However they do act on other types of issues, and it probably can't hurt to make your voice known. I'd do it as a user and not a publisher though; they care more about users.
engine
4:29 pm on Mar 18, 2015 (gmt 0)
I have to agree about some of those ads that are clearly deceptive. As netmeg says, it's an AdWords issue, not AdSense. The problem where I see the publisher getting into hot water is the placement of the ads on the page. Some are right next to the real download button, which takes less prominence.
not2easy
6:08 pm on Mar 18, 2015 (gmt 0)
I saw one huge green download button ad via AdSense the other day and couldn't believe that would be a good user experience. It was on an old and popular site for downloads that many programs use to manage distribution of freeware, cnet. I'm sure the distance between the actual download button I wanted and the much larger Ad "button" was the exact policy requirement and not a pixel more.
IanCP
8:08 pm on Mar 18, 2015 (gmt 0)
almost every download site these days has to have a giant DOWNLOAD BUTTON that is actually an ad while your real download button is barely noticeable
Also that "giant DOWNLOAD BUTTON" all too often leads to Malware.
Those types of AdSense ads are a particularly annoying experience.
One can only assume for the publisher of the site it works for them. I won't go near many of those sites, and I warn friends and relatives to never use them.
I'll stick with, and recommend one or two reliable download sites where experience shows me just what to "click".
AdWords aren't doing themselves any favours, nor AdSense for that matter. Thinking of the latter? Not all that long ago I heard a person advise his co-workers:
"Never click on one of those AdSense Ads because they are all riddled with Malware"
I was about to correct the person, then I thought:
If AdSense allow the perception of bad user experience to persist - then it's really their problem.
Sorry Netmeg, it is also an AdSense problem, and a problem for all publishers worried about integrity and public perception.
super70s
6:43 pm on Mar 19, 2015 (gmt 0)
And why do you always seem to see 100% relevant ads on those download sites that use deceptive ads when it's hit or miss with everybody else.
