You’ve planned an ad campaign for weeks, months even, only to get it disapproved by Google’s automated system. Now what, how to fix disapproved Google Ads?
The feeling of getting your ad rejected by Google isn’t pleasant. After all, you planned the ad to go live before a set deadline and this is just taking up your precious time and energy. To avoid getting frustrated, here’s a comprehensive guide that will review the most common errors and how you can avoid them. We’ll also explain how to file an appeal against the dreaded disapproved status.
Check the Status of Your Ad
Google is quick to notify about any disapprovals, and you should be quick to act on it too. If you receive an email about a disapproved ad, all you have to do is check the ad’s status on your dashboard and you can find out the reason behind the rejection.
More often than not, Google disapproves an ad because it goes against the predetermined policies or template. Once you figure out the reason, you can easily troubleshoot the problem and send it for re approval.
Types of Google Ads Disapprovals
There are two types of disapproval systems. A fully disapproved ad will not run at all, whereas a limited approval ad will qualify for a few targeted impressions. In the latter case, the return on investments (ROI) will be severely affected.
Resolve the Problem
To avoid either of these scenarios, it’s better to resolve or fix disapproved Google Ads issue and submit an appeal for approval. Here are some of the common causes of disapproval of ads.
1. Punctuations and Symbols
Google Ads is specific about grammatically correct ad text and provides a specific stylistic guideline for all ad submissions. Excessive use of symbols, like exclamation points for emphasis or ellipses for suspense, is discouraged as it gives the ad an unprofessional look.
2. Capitalization Errors
If Google marks your ad for capitalization errors, it means that your ad might have incorrect or excessive capitalization. Try to avoid overusing all uppercase unless it’s absolutely necessary. If you feel that the capitalization is a part of your branding or the ad you’re positing, you can request a review to Google and explain in detail.
3. Malicious and Suspicious Activity
This one’s a bit vague. Sometimes Google’s crawlers identify an issue with the website’s coding and mark your ad as malicious. In this case, you might have to rely on your webmaster to run a check on your website for any suspicious activity. If you can’t find the exact cause, feel free to reach out to Google to get clarification on this matter.
4. Inappropriate Content
Google will deem your ad inappropriate if it contains phrases or images related to explicit, violent, or offensive content. If your ad contains anything inappropriate, you can either remove the controversial content or run your ad with limited approval.
5. Copyrighted Content
Google does not allow copyrighted content in their Google Ads space. If you have proof of authorization for using copyrighted content, you’ll need to prove your claim by submitting documentation from the original owner. If you don’t, stay on the safe and remove any copyrighted content from your ad.
6. Poor Image Quality
To display ads on Google, you need to follow the image specifics. Google automatically rejects any ad that has a blurry or upside-down image. Simply change the image that follows the guideline and your ad will be good to go!
7. Issues with Landing Page
Always ensure that your post-click landing page is working properly. Google denies ads that return an HTTP error code (like 404 Error) or have DNS lookup issues. Also, confirm that your site is live and crawlable before sending out your ad for approval.
If none of these errors applies to your ad, you can browse through Google’s updated library of ad policies to find some more reasons for disapproved ads.
Filing an Appeal for a Disapproved Ad
Make a list of everything that could be holding back your ad from going live – ad text, extensions, and landing page – and double-check every detail. If you don’t find anything disproval-worthy, you can file for an appeal to Google ads.
You can either directly dispute the decision or specify the changes you’ve made to comply with Google’s policies. After you’ve filed your appeal, it’s a waiting game. Appeals usually take a few business days to process, but you can always check the status in your Policy Manager to stay updated.
