In Tune with TOS

So when was the last time you checked AdSense’s TOS?

I know, I know, it’s all small print. It’s boring. It doesn’t change very often. And when it does change, the changes don’t mean anything.

Right, right, right… and wrong. Very, very wrong.

The Terms of Service of any program, especially contextual ad programs, might be about as fun to read as the ingredients list on a TV dinner but they’re important. They’re important to read when you join the program so that you know what you can and can’t do. And they’re important to check on a regular basis so that you know that what you’re doing hasn’t suddenly become illegal.

A couple of changes to AdSense’s TOS has had publishers in a spin recently. The first was Google’s demand that publishers stop putting thumbnail images next to their ad units. I still haven’t heard of anyone getting banned for doing that, and I’ve seen plenty of sites that are still doing it. But it’s still worth putting some space between the unit and the image anyway.

The other change though was much, much bigger. Google now lets publishers use their ads on the same pages as other contextualized ad units, provided those units don’t look like AdSense.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that other companies will let you run AdSense ads on the same pages as their units. YPN won’t let you do that, for example. But there are still plenty of others that you can use, such as Chitika, Kontera and Omakase.

That’s a huge change, and if you weren’t checking your TOS regularly, you would have missed it.

Or at least, you would have come to it late if you relied only on forums and articles to stay up to date with changes to online advertising.

Although it’s true that Terms of Service pages are a long way from riveting reading, they are essential reading. Make it a part of your regular routine to check them at least every couple of weeks to stay up to date — and make the most of the new rules fast.