How Not to Get Banned From Adwords
We all live in fear of getting that dreaded Google notification that claims we have violated the Google Adwords TOS and our account has been suspended, indefinitely. Getting reinstated isn’t easy and is a huge inconvenience, potentially losing you massive revenue. To avoid the dreaded notification you need to be vigilant in not breaking the rules and avoid common AdWords crimes.
Crime 1: Too Many Ads
If your site is loaded with ads leading to merchant sites then you are walking the line. The way Google sees it is as follows: if the only advantage a visitor gains from clicking into your site is to be directed to another then the user might as well of gone directly to the merchant’s site to begin with. Provide some value, don’t just be a hop site.
Crime 2: Sneaky Rebilling
There are a number of sites that claim to be selling a one off product but in fact rebill the purchaser like a membership site. Another sneaky classic is to send out a product that takes 28 days to be delivered, and within this time the purchaser is rebilled before having a chance to cancel. A few complaints pertaining to such practice on your site will get you banned.
Crime 3: Free offers With Limited Functionality
If you advertise something for free yet the product doesn’t do what it says on the tin then you are in danger of getting the dreaded notification. If you offer a download that eliminate spyware from a computer, but in fact the software only highlights spyware problems and then prompts the user to pay to have them removed, this is considered false advertising. Unless of course you display a clear disclaimer with all the necessary info before the software is downloaded. Similarly, don’t offer a free iPhone if you aren’t really giving one away once 57 surveys have been filled out by the gullible surfer.
Crime 4: Multiple AdWords Accounts For The Same Service
Don’t create multiple sites for the same product with multiple AdWords accounts. This might temporarily help you achieve more than one ad on a search result page., but will also get you suspended quicker than you can say, “I didn’t know I couldn’t do that”.
Generally the rule is this: if you feel like it might be against the rules it probably is. If you are unsure about an action, email Google and ask, and at the very minimum fully read the AdWords terms and conditions.
