AdSense remains one of the platforms of choice for website publishers to monetize their sites. However, AdSense has strict policies on ads and content, and breaking these rules can get you penalized by Google. In fact, you may even find your account permanently banned.
In this article, we will cover:
- Google AdSense Policy.
- Common policy violations and how to circumvent them.
- What happens if you violate any policies.
- How to resolve any issues with AdSense tagging.
Let’s first briefly understand what the Google AdSense policy is.
A brief description of Google AdSense policies
Simply put, the Google AdSense policy (and a few more) lists the different rules that publishers must follow. These rules cover everything from ad serving to soliciting clicks, content and user privacy. Violation of any of these rules may result in warnings, penalties, or even permanent suspension of your account.
These policies are designed to ensure that ads do not manipulate visitors or cause a poor user experience. Unfortunately, it’s also easy to violate the strict Google AdSense policies. It is important to read through the different help pages provided by Google to familiarize yourself with the rules.
Consider checking out the following pages:
Common policy violations that affect website monetization and how to avoid them
Below, we’ll look at some of the most common policy violations. These mistakes are easy to make, but we’ll share some tips to avoid penalties.
Click on an ad on your website
One of the biggest no-nos is clicking on your own ads or asking someone you know to click on them. The point of advertising is to generate genuine interest and ultimately conversions. Google can and will penalize you if you click on an ad yourself, ask others to click for you, or pay for fake clicks from bots or deceptive software. Your account may even be permanently disabled.
According to Google’s policy page, “clicking on your own ads for any reason is prohibited.” Even if you’re really interested in what one of these ads is showing, it’s best to use the Publisher Toolbar. This way, you can click on the ad without violating the policy.
Google is so strict about requested clicks that you need to avoid a whole bunch of things. For example, don’t:
- Pay anyone to click on your ad.
- Encourage users to click by using language such as “Click the ad to support us.”
- Use graphics or arrows to point out ads.
- Make the ad indistinguishable from the page content.
- Use misleading labels such as “Sponsored Links” above Google ads.
In short, avoid clicks if they aren’t 100% natural. Don’t encourage visitors to click, don’t click on ads yourself, and don’t use misleading graphics or designs to manipulate user clicks.
misplaced ad
Google AdSense has a page dedicated to multiple ad placement policies, and violating these policies may be easier than you think. For example, you cannot place ads anywhere near menus, navigation bars, or download links. It is critical to let users know that an ad is an ad.
You also should not embed advertisements in software, desktop applications, browser extensions or applications. Other false placements that violate Google AdSense policies include displaying ads in or within:
- popups or -unders.
- Pages that contain ads only.
- Email or chat box.
- A page that mimics the look and feel of Google.
- Pages that use iFrame content.
Finally, remember that user experience is critical to Google. If your placements make it difficult to use your site, or if they confuse and mislead visitors, you will be penalized.
Serve ads with content that violates our policies
Google AdSense has a policy that deals specifically with content and its relationship to ad placement. These restrictions are easy to violate, so make sure you understand what types of content violate the rules. Below are some of the most common content violations.
Prohibited content
There is an extensive list of prohibited content. Many of these should be self-explanatory, but you may occasionally cover topics that fall on a restricted list depending on your website niche. Prohibited content means any of the following:
- Encourage or facilitate illegal activity. predecessor. Download pirated content.
- Encourage any form of discrimination or marginalization, harass or intimidate groups, advocate violence or harm, or exploit anyone through extortion.
- Promote animal cruelty or sell products that involve the harm and use of endangered species.
- Misleading users about the true nature of the site.
- Promote false information about health claims or the election process. predecessor. Anti-vaccine propaganda.
- Marketing or offering pornography, sexuality, mail order brides, or any other adult subject matter.
- Contains information about gambling, casinos, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, hacking, or weapons.
Placing an ad on any page that contains this content may result in a warning or even suspension of your account. It is important to remember that these rules apply not only to pages, but to the entire website. Therefore, if your website contains any of these themes on any of its pages, you will not be able to monetize with Google AdSense.
Copy or copyrighted content
You may not place ads on any pages that contain content available elsewhere online. In other words, you need to place your ad on pages with unique content that is not copyrighted. For example, if your site contains copyrighted music, images, or videos, you won’t be able to monetize it with Google AdSense.
unsupported language
AdSense needs to understand the context of the content on any page where an ad will be displayed. Therefore, all pages containing ads need to be in one of the supported languages . If your site is in an unsupported language, you won’t be able to show contextually relevant ads.
404 pages
Ads should not be placed on pages without content. Even though 404 pages may contain secondary content, they should still not place any ads. Doing so will violate Google AdSense policies and your inventory may be limited.
no privacy policy page
User privacy is a global concern, and many countries have strict regulations, especially when it comes to advertising and personalized targeting. Naturally, Google takes these laws very seriously, which is why it took action to delete third-party cookies. Additionally, Google AdSense has similar legal requirements in its policies.
If you use AdSense on your website, you need to have a clear privacy policy that clearly explains your policies to your visitors. Your policy needs to provide visitors with detailed information about third-party vendors, advertisers, cookie settings, COPPA and GDPR compliance, and more. Ideally, you should also have a consent management platform that allows users to set permissions according to their requirements.
Consequences of Violating Google AdSense Policy
The consequences of a breach may depend on the severity of the problem. For example, if Google detects invalid click activity or your ad violates placement policies, they will deduct the amount from your earnings. The platform may also restrict the delivery of advertisements to your website. If you receive warnings about policy violations and don’t address them, Google may ban ads from your site entirely or impose strict demand limits.
For serious or repeated violations, Google may suspend your AdSense account entirely. At this point, your earnings will be returned to the advertiser, and you’ll need to file an appeal to restore access. However, Google may maintain the suspension and prevent you from using AdSense on your site again.
In short, always check for violations and resolve any issues as soon as possible to avoid permanent account suspension.
If you get a warning, fix the violation
If you violate Google AdSense policies, you will receive a warning that you need to fix the problem. Fortunately, Google uses the Policy Center to make it relatively simple to identify and correct any possible issues.
To get started, log in to the Policy Center and check if any of the listed violations show “Yes” under the “Must Fix” column. If so, you need to correct these problems immediately. Once done, you will need to notify Google that you have corrected the issue by:
- Indicates that it has been resolved.
- Explain the steps you took to resolve the problem.
- Outline plans to avoid similar problems in the future.
The more detailed your responses, the more likely Google will restore your monetization. Be thorough in your responses and take the time to do whatever research you need to do to make a convincing case.
Avoid Non-Compliance Issues with Managed Ad Services
The easiest way to avoid non-compliance issues is to work with a managed ad service provider such as en.ggadsense.com. We always make sure that publishers understand the policy and help correct any issues that may arise.
However, if you have already received a warning or penalty from Google AdSense, we can analyze your situation and find the best solution. That way, you can rest easy knowing that your ad tech is in the hands of competent people and you won’t run into any compliance issues.
in conclusion
Google AdSense remains the first stop for many publishers looking to monetize their content. This is a relatively simple and effective proven advertising solution. However, strict AdSense policies mean that publishers often break the rules without realizing it. Knowing the policy and checking for violations can prevent warnings, penalties, and ultimately demonetization. For your complete peace of mind, consider using a managed ad tech service to help monitor your ads and status, and resolve issues if they arise.