Avoid Google Ads Bans With These Essential Marketing Tips

Running ads on Google is a powerful way to reach new customers and grow your business, but it’s important to stay within the boundaries of Google’s advertising policies. Google has stringent rules aimed at ensuring a safe, trustworthy user experience, and even minor mistakes can lead to disapproved ads or, in worse cases, an account ban. In this guide, we’ll explore the most common pitfalls advertisers face and provide practical tips to keep your Google Ads compliant and effective.

Tip One: Understand Google’s Advertising Policies

Google’s advertising ecosystem is complex, and marketers must be familiar with its rules before launching any campaigns. Google provides a detailed guide called Google Ads Policies, which covers prohibited content, restricted industries, and best practices for ad formats. Regularly reviewing these policies helps you avoid inadvertent mistakes that can get your ads disapproved. For beginners, it’s wise to start with Google’s own learning platform, Skillshop, where you can gain certifications in Google Ads.

• Prohibited Content: Google bans certain types of content outright, including but not limited to illegal products, dangerous products, counterfeit goods, and inappropriate content.
• Restricted Content: Some industries—such as gambling, adult services, and healthcare—are allowed to advertise, but they have specific restrictions. Failure to meet these requirements can result in a ban.

Always ensure your ad copy, keywords, landing pages, and overall marketing strategy comply with these guidelines. Google’s automated systems are very efficient at flagging violations, and fixing issues after the fact can be a cumbersome process.

Tip Two: Avoid Misleading or Sensational Ads

One of the most common reasons Google disapproves ads is due to misleading or exaggerated claims. The platform aims to protect users from false advertising, so ensure your ads are truthful, accurate, and clearly represent what you offer.

• Avoid Exaggeration: Don’t make promises you can’t keep, such as “Get rich overnight” or “Lose 20 pounds in a week.” These types of claims are considered misleading and can get flagged.
• Use Clear, Transparent Language: Your ad should be straightforward about your offer and provide a realistic expectation of what users will experience. Vague language or “clickbait” can lead to ad rejections.
• Be Honest on Landing Pages: The landing page that users click through to should match the ad’s message. If the page misleads users or doesn’t deliver on what was advertised, Google will penalize the ad campaign.

Tip Three: Avoid Restricted and Risky Niches

Some industries are more heavily regulated than others. New advertisers should be cautious before diving into these niches due to the stricter requirements.

• Gambling and Betting: These industries require proper licensing and specific compliance with advertising laws, especially in regions with restrictive regulations.
• Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals: These industries are highly scrutinized, and you must be certified through LegitScript or other verifiers for services like addiction treatment or pharmaceuticals. Failure to obtain certification can get your account banned. To obtain a certification for your website from LegitScript charges about $1,500 to apply for the certification and about $3,000 in an annual fee to maintain your certification (they offer slight discounts if you’re certifying more than one business). If you run ads on Google that mention words like “addiction” or “substance abuse” on the page you’re sending traffic to (or in the Menu of your website) then your ads will be disapproved from running without the certification. Failure to fix the issue may result in a ban from their platform. 
• Financial Services: If you run ads for payday loans, credit repair, or similar financial services, Google requires your business to meet strict guidelines to avoid misleading customers.
• Cryptocurrency: Due to the prevalence of scams in the crypto space, marketing for cryptocurrency is closely monitored. Even legitimate companies can have their ads rejected if they aren’t compliant with Google’s evolving policies in this space.

Tip Four: Maintain a Healthy Account

A poorly managed Google Ads account can trigger automatic flags that put your entire account at risk, not just individual ads. To maintain a healthy account, focus on these key areas:

• Ad Performance: Continuously monitor your ad performance and remove underperforming or poorly reviewed ads. Low engagement can hurt your account’s overall quality score.
• Keyword Relevance: Always ensure your keywords are directly related to your ad content and landing pages. Irrelevant keywords can lead to poor user experiences, driving down your quality score and increasing your chances of getting flagged.
• Ad Frequency & Budget: Over-accelerating your ads with a very high daily budget early on, especially for new accounts, can raise suspicions and trigger manual reviews. Start with modest budgets and scale gradually to avoid automated scrutiny.

Tip Five: Use Ad Extensions Properly

Ad extensions, like call buttons, location extensions, or site links, are powerful tools to boost your ad performance. However, improperly using them can result in disapproval or penalty.

• Accurate Information: Ensure that all extensions contain accurate and up-to-date information. Outdated phone numbers or incorrect location details can lead to ad rejections.
• Don’t Overuse Extensions: Using too many extensions without relevant content can cause your ad to appear spammy or cluttered, which Google penalizes because it can create a bad user experience.

Tip Six: Get Google Ads Certified

Being a certified Google Ads professional not only builds your credibility as a marketer but also gives you deeper insights into how Google Ads functions. By completing certification courses, you’ll be more familiar with Google’s policies and best practices, which can prevent mistakes that lead to account bans.

Google themselves offers free Google Ads certification programs through Skillshop, where you can get certified in specific areas like Search, Display, Shopping ads, and more. This demonstrates that you understand the platform and can operate within its guidelines.

Conclusion

Avoiding a Google Ads ban is about understanding and adhering to the platform’s rules, ensuring your ads are clear, relevant, and ethical, and maintaining a well-managed account. By following the tips above, you can create effective ads that comply with Google’s strict standards and avoid the headache of having your account restricted or banned. Keep up with policy changes, stay on top of account management, and, when in doubt, reach out to Google support for clarification.