I'm trying to understand why my google-ad isn't allowed.
I'll not tell you the actual product but it is nothing objectionable, instead I'll use automobiles as an example.
So my ad said something like
Acme automobiles
New and used automobiles.
Insurance and finance.
www.acme-autos.com
Banned within 2 hours for the use of the word "automobiles" in the ad text (remember I'm using automobiles as an example, my actual keyword is for a completely different product). They also complained of excessive repetition of a word (i.e. automobiles was used in both title and ad text). Several keywords killed on the same grounds e.g.
automobile spares
automobile finance
etc.
So I changed it to
Acme vehicles
New and used motor cars
Insurance and finance.
www.acme-autos.com
Rejected because they added vehicles and motor cars to the "banned list"
Doing a search for "automobiles" I found loads of other sponsored ads like
Joes automobiles
Automobiles, used and new
Finance, Insurance, Rentals
www.joes-autos.com
(Not using exactly the same text as mine but the same key words)
So I asked Google why Joes was permitted and had been running for many weeks but mine wasn't permitted and was reviewed and suspended within 2 hours.
The response was that "it can take some time before offending ads are identified and removed".
They also that some of the ads I was complaining of were for "automobile events" and that whereas "automobile sales" were banned "automobile events" were permitted - although not allowed to use the forbidden word as keyword or in ad text (true some were for automobile events - but many of those carried a lot of advertising for automobile sales). They said they would remove my competitor's offending ads.
So I created a new site (about safety and with only a very discreet "sponsored by" link and placed an ad:
Auto safety
Drive safely
Advice on automobile safety
www.acme-automobile-safety.com
Banned within 2 hours on the grounds of using Automobile and Auto in title and ad text although now in the context of safety not sales (after all, they appear to be permitted in ads for automobile events).
Next try:
Vehicle safety
Drive your vehicle safely
Advice on best highway practice
www.acme-automobile-safety.com
Banned on grounds that my keyword phrases included
"SUV safety" as an SUV is an automobile.
First time they'd objected to that keyword.
Next try, same ad but removed the key phrase.
Banned on the grounds of "automobile" in the domain name First time they'd objected to the word in the domain name.
Then I did a search for "automobile" no sponsored ads. BUT a search for "automobile finance" and for "uk automobiles" (and a couple of other 2 word phrases including "automobile"). This turned up a list of several sponsored ads for many of my competitors including:
Joes automobiles
Automobiles, used and new
Finance, Insurance, Rentals
www.joes-autos.com
And yes they were all sales sites, not ones promoting "automobile events" many of them were those I told Google about 2 weeks previously, all are clearly using the "forbidden" words often more than once in the ad text and in the keyword list.
I wrote documenting much of the above and asking for explanations.
Why is my ad always cancelled within a couple of hours whilst competitors committing the same "offence" have been running for weeks despite me telling Google and Google committing to remove them?
Why do they claim to permit ads relating to "automobile events" but won't permit one relating to "automobile safety"?
What are the criteria Google use for deciding whether a word or phrase is acceptable. A phrase that many would regard as unacceptable is "<snip>" - that currently delivers 10 sponsored ads. My product is something innoccuous and which nobody would have any problem about people discussing with young kids, Google evidently agree as the "family friendly" filter doesn't remove my product category from normal search results.
No reply. (And competitor ads still showing).
I have come to a choice of two conclusions.
The one I would prefer to believe is that there is one specific individual allocated as reviewer of my google-ads account and I happen to have been allocated one who is "over zealous". In that case how can I get my account manager changed?
Alternatively is there some arrangement nobody has told me about involving backhanders?
Where do I go next?
Google offer no escalation route for these problems.
Allowing my competitors to advertise while banning me is costing me a lot of lost business, that is evident even from the odd few hours when the ad has shown before the editor got in there.
Should I resort to the lawyers?
Should I go to the press?
If I do those will Google take revenge by knocking down the position of my entry in the normal results - currently in the top 0.01% for the primary unqualified keyword (product type) but out or 2 million hits so good compared to most but not good enough to be useful.
Just a reminder - Google have nothing against automobiles, I've just been using that here as an example to substitute for my product name for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
[edited by: heini at 11:36 pm (utc) on Oct. 4, 2003]
[edited by: robhindle at 12:25 am (utc) on Oct. 5, 2003]
Is the word you are using by any chance a patent or trade mark, very often Google will remove sites that infringe on trade marks.
Sorry I coulden't be of more help, but without knoing the specifics it is very hard to judge.
Mack.
Nothing remotely contentious like hoover and kodak have been in the past (because they had become used by the public as generic terms whereas they were trade marks).
Please take my posting at face value, don't look for a hidden justification on the part of Google, I wouldn't waste your time if I felt there was something untoward about my product or my presentation of it either on the website or through Google ads. I have not misled you or misrepresented the case. I am sure there are no unarticulated objections within Google's normal terms.
It would be so much easier if I could post copies of the emails and my web url (creating fictitious "automobile" examples is a pain in the butt!) but I'm feeling very uncomfortable about what Google are doing and want to "keep my powder dry". There may be implications for any further action on my part if I were to put all that into the public domain at this point.
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