If you saw any of your Google ads blocked or suspended in 2022, you may have been caught up in Google’s massive sweep to combat harmful and misleading content, protect user privacy, and maintain ad ecosystem integrity.
In 2022, Google blocked or suspended about 2 billion more ads than in 2021. They also blocked or restricted ads from serving on over 1.5 billion publisher pages and took broader site-level enforcement action on over 143,000 publisher sites.
The report findings. In the 2022 Google Ads Safety Report, Google found:
- Over 5.2 billion ads were blocked or removed for violating policies (up from 3.4 billion in 2021).
- 4.3 billion ads restricted (down from 5.7 billion in 2021).
- 17 million ads were blocked related to the war in Ukraine under the sensitive event policy.
- More than 6.7 million advertiser accounts were suspended for egregious policy violations (up from 5.6 million in 2021).
- Over 1.5 billion ads were removed from pages last year (down from 1.7 billion ads in 2021).
- Added or updated 29 policies for both advertisers and publishers in 2022.
Ads Transparency. Due to the findings of the report, Google is also launching a new Ads Transparency Center for users around the world.
The Ad Transparency Center is an easily accessible repository that contains all the ads presented by verified advertisers. It’s a platform that was created “with convenience in mind,” ensuring advertisers have access to information about Google ads.
Through the Ad Transparency Center, you’ll have insight into the following:
- The ads that a particular advertiser has displayed.
- The ads that were shown in a specific region.
- The most recent date an ad was shown, as well as its format.
Access the Ad Transparency Center. Advertisers can gain access to the Ads Transparency Center in two ways: either by directly visiting the center or by navigating to “My Ad Center” through the three-dot menu that appears beside the ads you come across.
Within “My Ad Center,” you will find a list of options that include details on whether the advertiser is a verified business. You can also customize your ad experience by selecting options such as liking, blocking, or reporting an ad if you suspect that it violates any Google policies. If you want to further personalize your ad viewing experience by favoring certain brands and excluding others, you can directly visit “My Ad Center.”
Dig deeper. You can view the announcements from Google here:
Why we care. The Ads Transparency Center and the Ad Safety Report provide greater transparency and accountability, which can help build trust with your target audience. By having access to a platform that provides detailed information on their ads and the ability to easily report or address any issues, advertisers can ensure that their ads align with Google’s policies and values.
This can ultimately lead to a better reputation and more successful campaigns. Additionally, the Ad Transparency Center can also help advertisers gain valuable insights into how ads are performing and how you can improve targeting strategies.
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