Fraud & invalid traffic · also called Keyword forcing, Term manipulation
Keyword stuffing (keyword forcing)
Keyword stuffing in search arbitrage is pushing high-paying search terms onto a page or visitor even though they have little to do with the content or the upstream ad.
In Related Search on Content, a publisher may suggest search terms through the terms parameter. Suggesting relevant terms is allowed and is known as using forced keywords. Keyword stuffing is the abuse: choosing terms because they pay well, not because they fit. An article about garden sheds shows "mesothelioma lawyer" and "structured settlement", or a visitor who clicked an ad about recipes is offered only loan keywords.
The result is curiosity or confusion clicks. The visitor reaches a results page for something they never wanted and the advertiser pays for a prospect with no intent.
Google's rules require partner-provided terms to comply with its policies, and its help page says Google filters and validates them on relevance, user engagement and performance. All parameters, including terms and referrerAdCreative, must be accurate and complete. Trade press reported that restricted accounts were limited to five terms per block from August 2025.
Signs: terms that do not match the article, the same money keywords across unrelated pages, high Lander CTR with weak advertiser outcomes. It differs from query fraud in that a real person does click, but the intent was manufactured.
An example
Relevant: a page on "choosing a family car" suggesting "SUV lease deals". Stuffed: the same page suggesting "cheap life insurance over 50" because it pays more per click.
Related terms
Forced keywords
Forced keywords are search terms chosen by the publisher, not typed by the visitor, and passed to the search feed to shape which related searches or ads appear.
Terms parameter
The terms parameter is an optional field in a Google related search request where the publisher lists its own suggested search terms, separated by commas.
Query fraud (fake search queries)
Query fraud is sending a search feed searches that no real person chose to make, in order to trigger valuable ads.
RSOC policies
RSOC policies are Google's rules for the related-search unit on content pages: real standalone content, honest search terms, honest upstream ads and a fully declared ad creative.
Related search terms
Related search terms are clickable search suggestions shown on a page, each of which opens a results page of ads for that phrase.
Search intent
Search intent is the goal a person has in mind when they search, such as learning something, finding a website or buying a product.
Sources: Google AdSense Help: Related search for your content pages, Google AdSense Help: AdSense for Search Product-Integrated Feature policies, Domain Name Wire: Google clamps down on RSOC as AdSense for Domains dies (November 2025)