AdSense Alternatives: A Note Of Caution

As suggested in previous AdSense Alternative articles here, one of the reasons that many entrepreneurs and online business owners do not like working with Google is the uncertainty that comes with doing so.

As amply demonstrated by their willingness and their ability to hike the cost of AdWords without warning, Google do have a habit of apparently making up the rules that govern both AdSense and AdWords as they go along.

This is, to at least some degree, understandable (they can only come up with a way to stop someone cheating the system after that ‘cheat’ has taken place, for example). Nevertheless, Google too often seem to apply the same thinking to the whole of the AdSense program.

And, you may not be at all shocked to know that invariably, any changes that are made only ever benefit Google and their advertisers, rather than any of their loyal website publishers.

So, you must always be very, very wary of sailing ‘too close to the wind’ where Google and the practices that they deem to be acceptable in their Terms of Service are concerned. The rules as they apply today may well be arbitrarily changed tomorrow, and there is little or nothing that you can do about it.

One specific thing that you must be wary of when considering using alternatives to AdSense is the idea of using AdSense AND alternative ad formats on the same page.

Here’s what Google themselves say about this practice:

“Google AdSense program policies do not permit Google ads to be published on web pages that also contain what could be considered competing ads. This includes all contextual ads as well as text-based ads. We do allow affiliate or limited-text links. However, we do not allow text-based ads that directly mimic, could be confused with, or attempt to be associated with Google ads.”

Now, if you are new to the mysterious and strange language that is Google-speak, you may be amazed at how it is possible to use so many words whilst still saying nothing!

Honestly, after reading this are you any nearer to a genuine understanding of what you can and cannot do?

Of course not, and that’s the exact point!

By being so vague and general, Google are effectively reserving the right to punish a publisher after the event, probably by referring back to this missive and saying ‘see, we told you!’

However, my interpretation is that if you use AdSense alternatives that work the same way as AdSense works, then that is probably going to upset Google.

So, for example, if you used another service that put PPC adverts on your page that then sent the clicker to the website of an advertiser not of your choosing, then that would probably cause difficulties IF the ad were on the same page as AdSense.

There is, however, nothing to stop you carrying AdSense on one page of your site and a direct competitor on a completely different page (or, at least, nothing that I have seen so far, but that could change tomorrow!).

Trying to read between the lines of the Google quote above (originally taken from Google Groups) it suggests that the test that Google apply is one of relationship – if you did not choose the advertiser and their ad, then that is too much like AdSense and therefore in breach of the rules.

It would however appear acceptable for you to place ads that perhaps look quite similar to AdSense on the same page, as long as those ads were, for example, pointing at an affiliate program that you had consciously chosen.

Indeed, this is at least partially confirmed by several of the programs in the following list that claim that they have asked Google for confirmation that you can place their ads on the same page. They claim to have received an affirmative response to this request for clarification.

Personally, I am not so convinced.

I have seen too many occasions when Google have seemingly decided that they no longer like the rules of the game, and therefore changed them, to have too much faith in such assurances.

If you therefore decide to use some of the following AdSense Alternatives in addition to, rather than as a genuine alternative to AdSense, then please be aware of the potential consequences of doing so.