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What's this shady ad technique called, and is it prohibited?

by domino66
5 replies
  • SEO
    • |
The ad technique I'm referring to is usually some combination of:
- ads that use a "fake" / deceptive looking "x" that looks like it's the standard "close this ad" button, but actually spawns a popup or redirect to an ad site
- ads that mimic actual content on the site: for example, which say "Click to Download", and are placed on software-download sites, which confuse the user about where they need to click to get the file they're actually seeking (this one I've seen even on very reputable sites, like cnet.com or download.com)

In short, they're just deceptive ways of presenting ads that fool users into clicking on them. I see them most often on grey-market sites, like adult, torrent, streaming video, p2p-ish, etc.
  • Is there a name for these types of ads?
  • Are they frowned-upon or banned...? Or merely just annoying?
  • Do they return very high RPC's (because so many users unwittingly click on them...? or perhaps do they return particularly LOW RPC's b/c it's not high-quality traffic?)
#called #prohibited #shady #technique
  • Profile picture of the author Ettienne
    Originally Posted by domino66 View Post

    The ad technique I'm referring to is usually some combination of:
    - ads that use a "fake" / deceptive looking "x" that looks like it's the standard "close this ad" button, but actually spawns a popup or redirect to an ad site
    - ads that mimic actual content on the site: for example, which say "Click to Download", and are placed on software-download sites, which confuse the user about where they need to click to get the file they're actually seeking (this one I've seen even on very reputable sites, like cnet.com or download.com)

    In short, they're just deceptive ways of presenting ads that fool users into clicking on them. I see them most often on grey-market sites, like adult, torrent, streaming video, p2p-ish, etc.
    • Is there a name for these types of ads?
    • Are they frowned-upon or banned...? Or merely just annoying?
    • Do they return very high RPC's (because so many users unwittingly click on them...? or perhaps do they return particularly LOW RPC's b/c it's not high-quality traffic?)
    I'm sure they're not illegal, because many of the "download now" ads are by Google Ads. Also, they probably have a great CTR because I for one have fallen for that little trick MANY times (and yes, it's annoying as hell).
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    • Profile picture of the author nik0
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Ettienne View Post

      I'm sure they're not illegal, because many of the "download now" ads are by Google Ads. Also, they probably have a great CTR because I for one have fallen for that little trick MANY times (and yes, it's annoying as hell).
      Lol yeah same here, over looking a page multiple times before being able to spot the real download link and clicking on ads many times as well
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  • Profile picture of the author brettb
    They're not illegal. However, if I want to download WinZip and I accidentally click on a "download now" ad for anti-virus software, then I've wasted the advertiser money.

    Sites with these ads on could be banned from AdSense, or the advertiser will get a poor quality landing page warning.

    On the other hand, big, trusted sites like Softpedia are using them all the time - that site is horrible for working out which link is actually the download link!
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      (just waiting to put turkey in....)

      I think people mistake getting traffic to their site and any legal
      system. You think there are internet police? There are none.
      Illegal things on US based websites will get them shut down.

      But why do people keep using terms like "illegal"?

      It's advertising. Pure and simple.

      Everything is fair in love, war, and getting traffic to your site.

      What does any of this have to do with google? It's a free internet.

      If you want to use ads like that, who cares? Use them until
      your face turns blue.

      Nobody here or anywhere else should dictate to you what you
      can and cannot do.

      Porn sites are not grey market, whatever that means. They
      can have high PR and be very authoritative. Does google hate
      porn sites? Since when? Google has said many times they are
      not for censorship. They only bow to pressure in whatever
      government agency can strongarm them. But these things do
      not flow across borders very easily. Nobody else in the world
      seems to care about US based internet laws.

      I still chuckle about the word, "Illegal."

      Paul
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      • Profile picture of the author domino66
        Originally Posted by paulgl View Post

        (just waiting to put turkey in....)

        I think people mistake getting traffic to their site and any legal
        system. You think there are internet police? There are none.
        Illegal things on US based websites will get them shut down.

        But why do people keep using terms like "illegal"?

        It's advertising. Pure and simple.

        Everything is fair in love, war, and getting traffic to your site.

        What does any of this have to do with google? It's a free internet.

        If you want to use ads like that, who cares? Use them until
        your face turns blue.

        Nobody here or anywhere else should dictate to you what you
        can and cannot do.

        Porn sites are not grey market, whatever that means. They
        can have high PR and be very authoritative. Does google hate
        porn sites? Since when? Google has said many times they are
        not for censorship. They only bow to pressure in whatever
        government agency can strongarm them. But these things do
        not flow across borders very easily. Nobody else in the world
        seems to care about US based internet laws.

        I still chuckle about the word, "Illegal."

        Paul
        Yeah, which is why I didn't use the term "illegal" in my OP (although responders did). Obviously there is no internet police. But I didn't know whether those "annoying" techniques (i.e. fake 'X'-close buttons, deceptive "Download Here" ads, etc) are actually prohibited / banned by, say, search engines, or ad networks, or something like that.

        For example, it's not completely out of the question Google might decide that they won't allow Adsense ads to be published on sites that employ shady (or in this case annoying) techniques like that. Heck, they yanked my Adsense ads from a *personal blog* simply because I talked about online gambling sites...not advertising them; simply talking about them. So yes, Google, and other ad networks do have policies about what types of sites they'll allow their ads to be served on.

        So I just wanted to know whether those annoying ads have a specific name, whether employing them is particularly profitable or not-profitable, whether deciding to use them might mean you could get blacklisted or have your site-authority downgraded, or the like...
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