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Google bans Voluum (30)

04-14-2015 08:48 AM #1 auditor (Member)
Google bans Voluum

Just go this about Voluum.com

Dear AdWords Advertiser,

We're writing to let you know that we'll soon be suspending a domain, trackvoluum.com, that may affect your AdWords account.

Beginning April 17 2015, we'll no longer allow trackvoluum.com to be used as a destination or final URL following significant violations of our advertising policies.

Our system identified your account as potentially affected by this change. We ask that you make any necessary changes to your ads and sites to comply, so that your campaigns can continue to run.

Sincerely,
The Google AdWords Team

screenshot of the email is here: http://prntscr.com/6tjsra

If you've ever run with Vouum on AdWords, it's probably best to remove your Voluum links.
FWIW, voluum was already banned from AppNexus.

04-14-2015 08:54 AM #2 i_am_positive (Member)

You could still use Voluum, all you need to do is get your own custom domain to use as tracking url.

04-14-2015 09:07 AM #3 auditor (Member)

You're right i_am_positive

04-14-2015 09:13 AM #4 Mr Green (Administrator)

It's never smart to directly use any shared tracking links, including from affiliate networks.

Basic rule of AM! Always use your own custom domain to control your campaigns.

04-14-2015 09:26 AM #5 aimisaudi (Member)

Well, I have some easy solution for this.

Custom Domain >> White Landing Page (Before Approval)

Custom Domain >> Voluum Tracking Link (After Approval)

Account ban chances high, But it saves money which you will be paying for Cloaker.

04-14-2015 05:59 PM #6 tim roth (Member)

Originally Posted by aimisaudi

URL check is likely automatic though!

04-14-2015 06:00 PM #7 aimisaudi (Member)

Hehe that is why I said, Account Ban Chances are high. But still it's better to save some money in starting rather than buying costly cloaker and having no money for testing.

Originally Posted by tim roth

URL check is likely automatic though!

05-24-2015 07:38 PM #8 fallonp (Member)

Originally Posted by i_am_positive

You could still use Voluum, all you need to do is get your own custom domain to use as tracking url.

The IP address of the custom domain will be the same IP as voluums tracking domain, so I guess it will trivial for Google to spot this & ban the custom domain as well?

05-24-2015 07:39 PM #9 auditor (Member)

Originally Posted by fallonp

The IP address of the custom domain will be the same IP as voluums tracking domain, so I guess it will trivial for Google to spot this & ban the custom domain as well?

I think you're right

05-24-2015 09:20 PM #10 highrolls (Member)

Originally Posted by auditor

I think you're right

how about using cloudflare/incapsula/backconnect socks to setup your custom domain?

05-24-2015 10:08 PM #11 auditor (Member)

Originally Posted by highrolls

how about using cloudflare/incapsula/backconnect socks to setup your custom domain?

That is above my understanding of DNS. Can you expand on that hihghrolls? It sounds very interesting.

05-24-2015 11:43 PM #12 ericchuawc (Member)

Hi auditor,

I have never used Google platform before. But awhile back, I noticed antivirus companies flagged Voluum domain as well. Thus, I have checked with Voluum support and they have a remedy for this. Not sure you are aware of this, but please check with them. I didn't really used it (shy, no idea how to setup that).

This is caused by certain users running malware campaign through the Voluum link. To remedy this issue we are in correspondence with the various anti-virus vendors to lift the flag on our default domain.

In the mean time, We now have a new tracking domain you can use: voluumtrk2.com

You can change your DNS settings to CNAME this domain (keep the same subdomain), and manually change your campaign URLs. This domain is not embedded into Voluum yet, so you need to do this manually.

Please let me know if something is unclear here.

Hope it can help

06-09-2015 08:50 PM #13 cowman31 (Member)

The other thing to watch out for is the Upgraded Url changes Google is making. I"m not sure any of these trackers are equipped for this or if Google will break up the Url properly.

Here's a link to what I'm referring to:

https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6157310

04-10-2016 01:59 AM #14 simon_89 (Member)

Originally Posted by Mr Green

It's never smart to directly use any shared tracking links, including from affiliate networks.

Basic rule of AM! Always use your own custom domain to control your campaigns.

Are you also suggesting getting a domain to host the tracking link from the affiliate network?

Take Adsimilis for example: http://simstrx.com/?a=0000&c=00000&s1= would you take that tracking link and get a custom domain to CNAME to that link itself?

04-10-2016 02:48 AM #15 zeno (Administrator)

You generally can't CNAME something without permission. The end system needs to also add an entry for the domain for that system to respond happily.

06-02-2016 12:12 PM #16 flashpacker (Member)

After reading this thread, it seems that Google adwords has a problem with Voluum.

Can anyone please tell me. If I want to use Google Adwords for a Pay Per Call (or standard PPC) campaign
and want to use Voluum for my tracking but with my own custom domain in place for the Voluum links
will this all be okay or do I risk losing my Adwords account?

Thank you in advance.

Mark

06-02-2016 04:20 PM #17 Mr Baffoe (Veteran Member)

Originally Posted by flashpacker

Hi Mark,

The letter seems to indicate they were only banning the trackvoluum.com domain and not voluum specifically.

06-02-2016 07:25 PM #18 flashpacker (Member)

Okay thank you, so I assume then that if I use a custom domain then I should be fine?

12-13-2016 07:53 PM #19 marekkalina (Member)

Originally Posted by flashpacker

Okay thank you, so I assume then that if I use a custom domain then I should be fine?

@flashpacker did you try it?

Because I was running an Game App install on AdWords.

I have used Voluum link with custom domain and my LP was also hosted on this domain.

And I have used Rules to redirect traffic from the targeted GEO to the tracking Link and after 3 Days My AdWords Account was Banned.

Luckely I have good relations with AdWords Acc Managers that I know personaly so it want be a problem to unbann it.

But I have no idea how to run an app install or any Affiliate Campaign on AdWords because tracking links from AN have all redirects.

Any IDEA?

12-13-2016 07:58 PM #20 matuloo (Legendary Moderator)

Originally Posted by marekkalina

Are you sure the problem wasn't caused by fallback redirects that the aff network had in place?

12-13-2016 09:04 PM #21 marekkalina (Member)

Originally Posted by matuloo

Are you sure the problem wasn't caused by fallback redirects that the aff network had in place?

I have double checked the Offer Links added to Voluum and found out that I have used Facebook & Google Safe Tracking Links provided by Avazu Network.

This Links should not RANDOMLY redirect and link only to "Unfortunately you are not a qualified user to visit the destination site.(CODE_107_121)"

But after testing them right now ..... I have found out that they were randomly redirecting to some Aggresive Offers & LP's.

SO this could also be the issue.

I have contacted my AM so he can explain me why are those "Safe" links not safe!

feeling disappointed

12-13-2016 09:08 PM #22 matuloo (Legendary Moderator)

Originally Posted by marekkalina

Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is the problem. Im not even sure whether "you are not a qualified user to visit the destination site..." is accepted by google.

Affiliate networks should seriously stop fucking with the fallback redirects, it's annoying as hell.

12-14-2016 10:30 AM #23 manu_adefy (Veteran Member)

Originally Posted by matuloo

It makes them money though, and puts the pain on the affiliate only.. That means it's probably worth it for them, and it's very unfortunate for us affiliates.

12-14-2016 11:58 AM #24 cmdeal (Veteran Member)

Originally Posted by manu_adefy

It makes them money though, and puts the pain on the affiliate only.. That means it's probably worth it for them, and it's very unfortunate for us affiliates.

That ain't cool.

12-14-2016 12:29 PM #25 rob_gryn (Member)

Originally Posted by matuloo

There was a point in time when this was a problem however it has been resolved.

I cannot believe affiliate networks still do this, years back I always asked them to turn off that trash as it got my campaigns blocked, and sometimes banned. Often times they were unable to switch it off and there was no global opt out. Greed to monetize every click is a short term route.

This also caused problems for Zeropark & Voluum DSP as crawlers will scrape offers and find these catch all offers, most of which have blacklisted domains - which automatically associates your campaign, or worse, your account - and it gets blacklisted too.

12-14-2016 01:44 PM #26 matuloo (Legendary Moderator)

Originally Posted by rob_gryn

You would be surprised how many networks still enforce this retarded system, I got into problems with several networks this year, just because of retarded fallback offers that kept popping up for reviewers that are outside of the GEOs I'm targeting.

12-14-2016 01:56 PM #27 mindfume (AMC Alumnus)

Send all your traffic by default to your own safe page and then ONLY allow the specific geo / device / OS / etc.. to go to the offer page.

Since I started doing this, I've never gotten into any troubles anymore due to shady affiliate network redirects.
So don't even give them the possibility to redirect, and and put yourself in control of your traffic.

12-14-2016 02:04 PM #28 matuloo (Legendary Moderator)

Originally Posted by mindfume

I'm doing this already, however the detection of some variables is not 100% reliable or compatible from network to network. But it definitely helped me to reduce the amount of trouble I was facing. Solid tip for anyone who is not doing this already.

12-14-2016 02:39 PM #29 Mr Baffoe (Veteran Member)

Everyone should do this for sure. Without it you have no control over your campaigns.

Plus I've yet to hear of a network that shares the revenue they make from the redirected traffic.

It's your traffic. You paid for it. At the very least, control where is goes and/or monetize it yourself in a way that won't get you banned.

12-15-2016 09:52 AM #30 rob_gryn (Member)

Originally Posted by mindfume

In theory this is sound. However affiliate networks are cheap, and they use MaxMind which has notable discrepancies with Digital Element (Voluum). I would suggest always asking them to switch it off globally and permanently.

Keep in mind that even if you haven't run into troubles with the catch all / fallback offers with a certain affiliate network - they test various solutions, so if it's not today they may plug something aggressive in tomorrow and you'll be left scratching your head wondering why your campaigns were rejected/banned.

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