Google AdWords Tips - Ad Creation Guidelines

2009 January 30

presented by Karen Scharf: Helping You Improve Web Conversions

By Mack M. Michaels

Google AdWords is an ad serving platform that rates your ads and campaigns using a proprietary algorithm. What most people don’t take into consideration is that campaigns are also reviewed manually by editors. Below are several AdWords tips to avoid a penalty when your ads are manually reviewed.

Offensive Language

Regardless of the form of advertising your business uses, you always want to capture attention. You want to stand out, draw interest and be remembered. It isn’t surprising that several advertisers will try to use a shock factor by inserting offensive language into an ad to draw interest.

The Google algorithm may not understand the nuances or hidden meanings of some words, but offensive language is easily identified and flagged with a penalty in a manual review.

Copyright And Trademark Restrictions

Google has been flooded with lawsuits in recent years because of advertisers using trademarks or copyrighted terms in their advertisements without permission. There are strict guidelines in place, and you’ll receive a warning at the ad creation level if your ad contains a copyrighted trademark.

Special Offers

If your ad states a “special offer” you need to take the customer directly to that offer. It will pass the algorithm test most of the time, but a manual review will expect you to deliver on the promise your ad makes. If you advertise a special discount, your landing page needs to prominently display that discount.

Display URL

Google’s primary concern is the search user. When they click on your ad they expect to land on the displayed URL. In past years, advertisers have taken advantage of the AdWords platform by “redirecting” browsers to a different URL. They would show the search user one URL, then take them to a different website after the ad has been clicked.

To curb the abuse, and ensure a quality experience for search users Google now requires the display URL to accurately reflect the end destination URL. If you tell a search user you’re taking them to a specific domain, that’s where you have to take them. You aren’t allowed to redirect them to an unrelated page.