I wonder why Google banned me.

[Kevin Kimes]

I haven't used Google AdWords in several months. The last time I logged on, a few months ago, was to turn off the last campaign I had been running for a brick & mortar client. That campaign was actually on a separate account under the same MCC as the one I'm talking about. All other campaigns had been paused for a long time before that.

I needed to use the keyword tool today, so I opened it up. I was greeted with this alert:

Your Google AdWords account has been permanently suspended for repeated violation of AdWords or Landing Page and Site policies in this or a related account.

Here's some information I then found on their help page, linked in the alert itself:

If we find that there was an issue with following one of our policies, you'll receive a warning so you can correct the problem. If violations continue, you'll get a final warning, followed by a suspension of your account (and any related accounts) if one more violation occurs. However, if a violation creates a serious and immediate risk for advertisers, our users, or Google, we may be forced to take immediate action and suspend those bad accounts without warning.

I searched my email history. They have never sent me any warnings of any kind. The last email from them was a satisfaction survey sent in April. Before that, a performance summary in February, for January - there was no activity in January.

Then, back in December, I find the notification of suspension. Odd. It's the usual 'You're not allowed to ever have an adwords account, ever again.' Extra odd, because that other account for the client (in my name) had continued to run and get clicks until I turned it off.

Going back further, there are no warnings, ever. Since their own documentation states that I'll be warned of violations to their policy, and have an opportunity to make changes, I wonder if I can call them up and get unbanned. Contrary to what may be popular belief, some people do get unbanned.

I'm wondering, also, whether I even care. Since I'm obviously not using them right now, maybe I shouldn't bother. But, someday I might decide to diversify in a way that will once again include AdWords in a business model.

---
Once upon a time, I don't remember when, I had tried to run a direct-link campaign to Truth About Abs. It didn't work at all, the ads never even ran, so I turned it off within one day. I remember thinking, "I wonder if Google has decided they hate that product?"

If that's why, then I find it a bit ironic. Truth About Abs is actually a GOOD PRODUCT. I've read it, and it's a genuinely useful ebook. If anyone were to actually follow it, they'd definitely get the results advertised. I also don't believe there's any false advertising on it's website. Hype and heavy marketing, yes; but no misleading and no lies (as far as I remember).

I can understand Google wanting to flush out the highly deceptive rebills, "free trials", and email submits, but this one is baffling. Sometimes it seems the wealth of weight loss hoaxes and scams have caused a backlash on digital promotion of almost everything in the fitness industry.

Sigh. Why are they banning promoters of good products?

[hpgoodboy]

I can see how you don't like this.

Now you have to find other sources of traffic and you will be surprised to find out that Google was not the only girl in town...

[athenistic]

....except he's not actually using Adwords for traffic, meaning he obviously has other sources... so... thanks for stopping by.

As for your experience, Kevin, I'm waiting for the day that it happens to me too. Back in 2008 I ran quite a few campaigns that would be shady by today's standards though at the time they were considered to be legit. I'm not running anything now either, and haven't for ages, but it really would be a shame to lose access to the KWT. I think that's really all I would miss.

[theverysmartguy]

Originally Posted by athenistic

I'm not running anything now either, and haven't for ages, but it really would be a shame to lose access to the KWT. I think that's really all I would miss.

You don't need an adwords account to access the Google Keyword Tool.

-- Jeff

[Kevin Kimes]

Originally Posted by athenistic

....except he's not actually using Adwords for traffic, meaning he obviously has other sources... so... thanks for stopping by.

As for your experience, Kevin, I'm waiting for the day that it happens to me too. Back in 2008 I ran quite a few campaigns that would be shady by today's standards though at the time they were considered to be legit. I'm not running anything now either, and haven't for ages, but it really would be a shame to lose access to the KWT. I think that's really all I would miss.

Turns out, I still have full access to my account. It appears I could create a campaign, even. From what I've heard, this is normal. The problem would be, I would get no traffic to any campaigns.

But, I am using the KWT just fine.

Originally Posted by theverysmartguy

You don't need an adwords account to access the Google Keyword Tool.

-- Jeff

It's a hassle to use the external keyword tool, with the captcha requirement. I also recall it being a bit limiting compared with the internal tool.

[camm]

followed by a suspension of your account (and any related accounts)

Just curious if you lost your Adsense account as well

[Clyde]

Google hate affiliate marketers, period.

[julianbooth123]

If you need to use the keyword tool then you don't need to have the adwords account. You can still get enough of keywords even without the adwords account.

[MikeFriedman]

Originally Posted by Clyde

Google hate affiliate marketers, period.

That's BS. Affiliate marketers probably make up at least a quarter of their AdWords profits.

[yukon]

Originally Posted by MikeFriedman

That's BS. Affiliate marketers probably make up at least a quarter of their AdWords profits.

The other 3/4 is probably pushing affiliate programs of their own, in some way, shape, or form.

Google knows 2 types of people are on the net, buyers & sellers. If your not buying you must be selling (I think I'll make that my sig. lol).

Google wouldn't exist without pushing their own programs (Adwords/Adsense).

[Worthen]

I spent over a quarter of a million $ at Adwords back in it's early days, with an average bid of $0.015 and they banned me. But my biz model was arbitrage. That's been years ago and today they would ban me lots quicker. Hang in there Kevin.

[paulgl]

The logical answer is that it's just a case of google
cleaning old, inactive accounts with just some
eeny-meeny-miny-mo email message.

Especially if the accounts have something in their
account like "the truth about abs."

Most of the stuff from google is done by a robot.

Sometimes any number of things can trigger it,
but they don't have an enormous amount of
stock emails that address each and every item.

But an ebook, on abs, is almost begging for a ban.

It could be the greatest product in the world.
Nothing to do with adwords TOS.

Paul

[Yeeee Ha]

Hey Kevin,

Guess what? You've got company.

They banned my account in October 2010, which had all campaigns in paused status since more than a year.

lol...I also had a campaign for truth for abs in there

[juliashing]

Even though you might have lost your account to the KWT but still you can access the limited version which is still great. Although it might not give you a great deal of access and insights but still you might as well give it a shot.

[catheyleee]

There are many other tools that provide keyword suggestions along with the sites of the main competitors.
The one I found is "Keyword Spy". You can google it if you want