Text links and google TOS

[badboy10548]

OK - I think I know the answer to this but I'm hoping there is a gray area.

I have a cancer site that I run google ads on. The site is more of a personal project than an income generator, but I'd like to recover some of the running costs (hosting, dial up fees, promoting the site). The google ads don't make much money (less than $10/month), but they show ads that I think are useful to visitors so I don't want to remove them.

Over the last few days I've had 3 offers for text links to sites selling prescription drugs - $20 per link - I could really use the money...

My question is: would a text link to a site selling prescription drugs be "promoting prescription drugs" and against TOS?

[parasite1526]

Text link to those sites is unlikely against TOS

[parasite1526]

Static text links would not violate the Adsense TOS as far as I know. You can't have other contextual advertising on your site, which means advertising like adsense, where it checks your content and delivers ads based on content.

Things like the advertising Co-Op are fine with the Adsense TOS and they are link advertising, so you should be fine.

If you are really worried and want to make sure, send an e-mail to Google. They are the only one who can tell you with 100% certainity.

[badboy10548]

They do say :


Site may not include:
....(a whole bunch of stuff I don't have)
Sales or promotion of prescription drugs

I'm just not sure if a text link is "promoting" the site.
I think I'll check with google.

Thanks

[badboy10548]

You don't promote that site. As i see it, promoting a site is when you benefit from their product sales. Mostly you get a percantage cut out of it, or am i wrong? Or am i wrong?

[badboy10548]

Just to update: I got a reply from google and they said no links to sites with prohibited content

[badboy10548]

I find that odd, I have a website with Information on Louis Vuitton and Counterfit (replica) handbags. Google approved the website since all I have is information on the subject, I am not selling or promoting them. They just told me to be careful when developing content that I dont cross over that line.

[badboy10548]

Start linking to sites that sell prescription drugs and you'd probably end up losing that $10/month anyways - cuz most SE's will eventually ban the site

What's the issue with prescription drugs - is it the spam issue? Or can people get hold of the drugs without a prescription? Is it considered immoral to sell (legal) drugs online? Why would they ban you for the links? (I'm not saying they won't, just trying to understand the reason)

[badboy10548]

All of the above? Spam in part. Usually drug sites link out to other questionable sites. DMCA violations maybe? I'm not sure. I'm just syaing that prescription drugs site disappear from the SERPs pretty quick. Sites that link to them disappear quickly too.

Linking to banned sites has always been a no-no. It leads to bad things - banning of your site or penalties.

[badboy10548]

Thanks for the advice. I'll stay away from them.

Another question: if you have a directory how do you keep a check that none of the sites in your directory have been banned?