(MKTG 297) Week 3 - Google Advertisement Requirements

When creating Ads for Google you need to ensure that each promotion follows professional standards. Guidelines for what to do and for what not to do are posted on Google for review. Examples of what Google does not allow in an advertisement include: unclear promotion, unclear relevance, and unsupported superlative or competitive claims. Google also has requirements as to use, style, and spelling and grammar.

An advertisement that is unclear can end up misleading a reader. Google requires that your advertisement is written in understandable language and that the product being offered is clearly labeled. Google also does not allow you to create an ad that appears as though it sends you to one link but then really sends you to a completely different one. An example of this would be if an ad showed the link appearing to send you to aol.com but it really sends you to a different site like fancyshoes.com. 

Unsupported superlatives or competitive claims are also considered bad practice according to Google. Google will not allow the use of terms such as the best or #1 without support for the claim from a third party. Google also mentions that if your ad is going out to China or is in Chinese you cannot write any superlative claim even if it is supported by a third party.

Usefulness is another category Google looks at when you create an advertisement. Google requires that your content is easy to navigate and doesn't cause frustration for the person browsing through it. An example that Google uses is pop-up ads. You should not have pop-ups that block the content the reader is trying to view. There are also certain style requirements that Google wants you to use when creating an advertisement. Google requires that you properly use all of the ad-unit space provided or at least use it in a proper manner. For example, there should not be an image that only takes up half the ad-unit space and leaves the rest blank. Spelling and Grammar are also important when creating a Google.

If Google finds your advertisement in violation of any of these rules than they will do one of three things. They can disapprove your ad which means that your ad cannot run live until you fix the violations Google has found. Google can also disable your domain meaning that your website will be not be advertised until you correct your violations. The last consequence of not following the rules outlined by Google is account suspension. If your account is suspended all of your ads will be taken down and Google may no longer accept advertisements from you. An account suspension will occur if you make a serious violation.

This information can be found at: Google Ad Requirements