6 Reasons Why Google Ads Policies Are Rejecting Your Ads

So, you’re running an online advertising campaign, but despite your best efforts, you can’t see your ads.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

There are many reasons why your ad isn’t being shown on the Google Ads network, and therefore isn’t receiving any clicks, impressions or conversions.

More often than not, this issue is linked to discrepancies with one or more Google Ads policies. However, in order to uncover what’s truly going on behind your ad disapproval, we need to dig deeper.

Let’s find out why your ads aren’t Google-approved.

6 Possible Reasons Why You May be Falling Foul of Google Ads Policies

There are a several reasons why Google may block your ad or refuse to display it on their network. For example, the issue may lie with any of the following:

• Ad text
• Google Ads account history
• Keywords
• Credit card

 
Just to name a few.

By reviewing these categories in depth, you’ll be able to hone in on the reason for your pay-per-click (PPC) woes.

1. Ad Text Format

Your ad text format may be going against Google Ads policies. To avoid this, make sure you follow these rules:

• Don’t make bold claims such as, “#1 company in the world” unless a third party can prove this.
• Don’t create ads with long text. Be concise.
• Don’t use CAPS for all your ad copy. This is one of the most common causes of rejected ads.
• Don’t overuse exclamatory signs.
• Refrain from using the phrase, “click here” in your ads. Instead, use a different call to action (CTA).
• Your landing page and ads must have matching messages for fast Google Ads approval as it reduces clickbaity behavior.

2. Missing or Wrong URL

If your URL is wrong or missing, Google Ads may block your ad from general viewing. To avoid this, make sure your root domain has the same destination and display URL.

This is an easy fix for a frustrating situation.

3. Review Process

Google Ads will process and review every ad to ensure it lives up to the set standards. This routine standard review can sometimes take days.

Google will review and then mark them as “eligible” once they’ve been accepted.

If you haven’t seen any notifications, and it’s been only a day, it may be best to wait another day or two in case it’s simply a case of lagged review processing.

4. Keywords

If you choose to include someone else’s branded keywords in your ad, you’ll be flagged.

In this case, it’s best to stick with just synonyms and be as original as possible. If you’re unsure about your keywords, do a quick review of your keywords yourself before submitting your ad.

5. Restricted Content

Google Ads policies prohibit sales or promotions of counterfeit goods.

These counterfeit goods may also contain a logo or trademark that’s indistinguishable from other legitimate trademarks, which is not allowed by Google Ads.

For healthcare ads, you should make sure your website offers appropriate and clear disclaimers for every product you sell, in order to comply with Google’s healthcare advert policy and legal regulations.

Keep in mind, Google doesn’t allow specific types of adult content ads in certain locations. It also disapproves of content that promotes dishonest behavior such as hacking services or software.

6. Faulty Billing information

If your billing account information is incorrect, this may be the reasoning for your disapproved ad. Google won’t show ads on its network if there seems to be any billing issue at all, so make sure you provide the proper information.

Also, make sure you don’t submit all your ads at once. Start by submitting the best ones first, then, once they’re approved, you can move onto the rest.

Google Ads Policies Disclaimers

As a quick summary, we’ve put together all of the Google Ads policies and disclaimers for you to use as an on-the-go checklist before submitting your ad. This essential knowledge for PPC advertising will help you enjoy a smooth ad posting process.

• Don’t violate trademark rules.
• Don’t use content focused on adult entertainment, gambling, explosive products, counterfeit goods or offensive content in general.
• Use the proper specifications and pricing. Google Ads highly discourages incorrect information.
• Don’t use your company’s phone number in the ad text. Instead, use phone extensions.
• Delete any previously disapproved ads from your account.
• When advertising financial services and products, make sure it complies with local and state regulations for your specific country or region.
• Don’t use other people’s trademarks.

Ad Approval Statuses

Now that you’ve learned all the reasons why your ad may not be approved by Google, let’s look at the possible statuses your ad can receive, and what they mean.

• Eligible – Google is in the process of reviewing your ad, however, the preliminary scanning has allowed it to show up on a few Google search pages.
• Under review – Your ad is currently being reviewed. It won’t be shown until it’s fully approved – which takes longer than the “eligible” status.
• Approved – Your ad is good to go! It complies with all policy measures.
• Approved limited – The ad is allowed to run, however not in every situation. This is due to content or industry restrictions. In this case, there’s nothing you can do. As we’ve discussed, some industries are heavily regulated, which hinders visibility.
• Disapproved – Your ad cannot run because either its destination or content violates Google Ads policies.

Final Takeaways on Google Ads Policies

These situations shouldn’t be alarming for advertisers. Most of Google Ads rejections happen simply because of their strict set of rules.

The trick is knowing these policies well enough so you can ensure your ads are optimized and legitimate in the eyes of Google. Thankfully, Google is great at telling you which policy your ad is violating, and these issues can be fixed through a simple and quick edit.

Since Google is known for continuous policy updates, make sure you stay updated with changes in Google Ads so you can stay ahead.

If the problem persists, even though you’ve worked through the entire policy list without positive results, consider contacting Google for more information.