As SEO resellers, it’s important to keep our finger on the pulse of what’s happening online, particularly with regard to SEO and advertising. According to the recently released annual Ads Safety Report, Google removed or blocked a staggering 3.4 billion ads in 2021. Considering that Google relies on sponsors and ads in order to provide its users with free information and services, removing billions of ads makes a huge statement regarding the Google Ads network and its attitude towards safety.
Google has asserted that when they make decisions on ads and monetised content on their platforms, they keep the safety of their users as a top priority. In the 2021 Ads Safety Report, Google said that they work hard to prevent anyone from being able to maliciously use their advertising services in order to keep essential information safely accessible to people, businesses and publishers through an ad-supported internet.
Google has been transparent about its policies and its strategies for preventing the system from being abused, consistently releasing very clear announcements for any new policies or changes to existing ones. For instance, Google released a detailed outline of their multi-strike system for dealing with repeated policy violations, complete with the strike number, what could trigger a strike and what actions or penalties would be issued.
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Following that transparency, Google has openly shared information regarding the number of ads that were blocked or restricted in 2021, along with statistics on publisher enforcement. The report goes into more detail, listing both the actions that were taken as well as the policy infringements that caused penalties.
In 2021, the top five reasons for ads being blocked were:
- Abusing the ad network:
652.1 million ads blocked - Adult content:
286.8 million ads blocked - Trademark (trademark owners can restrict third parties from using their terms in ads):
136.9 million ads blocked - Inappropriate content:
125.6 million ads blocked - Gambling and games:
75.1 million ads blocked
According to the report, 5.7 billion ads were restricted because of content that was sometimes culturally or legally sensitive. Restrictions helped to make sure that advertising in sensitive areas wasn’t shown in places that may be inappropriate. 1.7 billion pages had action taken against them as part of Google’s endeavour to make sure that publishers who monetise their content did so while adhering to Google’s restrictions and policies.
For digital agencies to effectively advertise for their clients using Google Ads, it is vital for them to be well versed in Google’s policies and restrictions. Google’s policies aim to create a good experience for people viewing ads but are also designed to help ensure that ads are successful. If the ads placed for a client are frequently being taken down or restricted, it paints the digital agency placing them in a negative light with the implication that they don’t know how to do their jobs correctly. Complying with Google’s policies will help your clients’ ads perform well and show that your clients (and your agency) are trustworthy, professional and work to be part of the transparent, safe internet experience Google strives to create for its users.
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