How to Get Back Into AdSense – Account Reinstated!
I received one of the worst emails a blogger can get: Google AdSense Account Disabled. To my horror, I opened this email to see that Google was accusing me of click fraud. My account was disabled, my earnings were being refunded to advertisers, and no further payments were coming my way.
But thanks to a simple process, my account was reinstated. It took five days, but that’s better than being permanently banned.
If your account is ever disabled, here’s what you should do to get it back.
1. Don’t panic. It’s not the end of the world. You have a chance of getting AdSense reinstated. Even if you don’t, you can try Yahoo ads or many other ways to monetize your blog. Panicking won’t solve anything.
2. Investigate the allegations. Information is power. You need to know if a friend, family member, or employee (i.e. someone under your control) clicked your ads. Did you ask someone to click? Did you click by accident? Gather the facts, even if they reveal actual invalid clicks.
3. Appeal to Google. There is a simple form to fill out to appeal this decision. Be honest, truthful, and tell Google what happened. If you have no knowledge of invalid clicks, say that. If someone accidentally clicked, explain that. If a visitor maliciously clicked repeatedly, tell Google the story. You’ve got nothing to lose at this point.
4. Wait. The appeal form says it can take 48 hours to process your appeal. I filed mine on a Thursday evening. On the following Monday, I got an email saying that they were considering the information I submitted. The reinstatement email did not come until Tuesday.
5. If successful, rejoice! If this worked (as it did for me), you’re back up and running. It will take Google up to 48 hours to start displaying ads again, so be patient. You might lose a week of earnings, but that’s nothing in the long run.
6. Appeal again. If you are still banned (or Google doesn’t respond in a week or so), appeal again. Be polite, professional, and honest. Dig back through your information and see if you missed something that might be pertinent. Is there someone else on your network (maybe at work) who would show up as the same IP, but who you don’t have control over? Google claims that a second appeal is futile, but it worked for Stas Bekman.
7. Appeal another time. I’d give the appellate process 3 solid tries before giving up on it. Definitely remain professional and provide as much information as you can.
8. Email people. I’ve read that you can find Google VP’s and AdSense executives via a Google search for “google staff.” You might try emailing a few of these people directly. I’m not sure what success you’ll have, but it might be worth a try.
If all that doesn’t work, I’m not sure what you should do. I’d be happy to talk with anyone who has appealed unsuccessfully. Maybe we can brainstorm and come up with a new idea for you.
Further reading
I’ve tried to outline the entire process here, but further reading is always handy:
- Banned by Google Adsense? Here’s a way to get your account back
- Google AdSense account disabled – The FAQ
- You Too Can Be Banned From AdSense With No Money Down (Enquire Within)
- Some people who have been reinstated
Help me out?
If you like this article, please give it a Digg. Thanks to Andy for submitting it!
[tags]google, adsense, disabled, reinstate[/tags]
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40 Responses to “How to Get Back Into AdSense – Account Reinstated!”
April 19th, 2007
I would also suggest, if your Adsense account means a lot to you, invest in some software or a service to track Adsense specifically.
April 19th, 2007
Andy,
Thanks for the addition. That’s a great point. If you have your own data about click activity, it should be helpful in your appeals.
I plan to check out AdLogger very soon. Have you used anything similar?
April 19th, 2007
I’ve tried adlogger but had no pacience to get everything configured. And it causes some “interference” in some ads my blog displays. A friend of mine uses adspytracker and he says there’s nothing better. It costs 9 bucks or so.
April 19th, 2007
I use multiple trackers because of my tin foil hat
Most of the trackers will provide you with enough data to cover your a$$ – I am wondering what might be possible with MyBlogLog or other widget soon.
It would be great to know exactly who clicked your ads, though there are always legal issues about privacy.
April 19th, 2007
j.,
I just looked into AdSpyTracker, and I think it costs $67. Maybe I’m missing something. I don’t think I’m ready to shell out that kind-of cash…yet.
Maybe I’ll give AdLogger a try first.
April 19th, 2007
Andy,
I can’t imagine you being a paranoid person. Although I’m becoming one myself, due to my banning experience.
Legal issues? Who cares about the law? 😉
April 19th, 2007
Glad to hear everything panned out, friend!
April 19th, 2007
Andrew,
My bad 🙁 , you are right, I checked out my source and the price really WAS 9,90 when it was launched, a couple of months ago, then it was raised to 37 and now costs 67.
April 19th, 2007
j.,
Not a problem. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t crazy. Thanks for checking!
April 20th, 2007
Glad to hear you got reinstated. It happened to a mate of mine a few weeks ago and he was having kittens! He sorted it out in the end but he was all nerves for a couple of days. The strange thing is that he only makes $10-$15 a month off it .. but I suppose it’s the implication that he was cheating that made him mad.
April 20th, 2007
Owen,
It’s definitely a disheartening thing to happen. I can see how it’s depressing to be banned, even if you’re only make a few dollars from AdSense. Nobody likes to be called a cheater.
PS: I’m testing version 2.1 of the comment plugin. Let me know if you receive this. 🙂
April 21st, 2007
I’m so paranoid about accidentally clicking my own ads that I’ve completely blocked Google Adsense on my computer. It’s better to be safe rather than sorry.
April 22nd, 2007
Another option if your google adsense account is suspended/terminated, is to examine other options. I moved on to PayPerPost and haven’t looked back. I am making more than I did with adsense and there’s really no reason to keep fighting with google to get reinstated anymore.
April 22nd, 2007
Paul,
You’re right that it’s better to block your own ads than to commit click fraud. A handy way to block ads on any site is Firefox and Adblock Plus.
April 22nd, 2007
Taylor,
PayPerPost can be a good money-earning option for bloggers. I’m a postie, and I’ve made a decent chunk of cash through PayPerPost.
The one problem is that you can’t always find opportunities that really fit with the blog’s theme. AdSense is a bit less-intrusive for readers, and the ads usually match the page’s content. Thus, they’re kind-of adding extra value for readers (and people who visit the page via search engines).
In the end, I think diversifying income streams is a huge key to making money online. I currently don’t make more than 23% of my income from any one source. I’m primarily making money through 6 different streams. If any single one goes away, it will hurt, but I can bounce back.
Thanks for commenting,
Andrew
May 1st, 2007