Solved: Google Ads Disapproval in San Francisco (The Real Reason)

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out about the trouble you're having with Google Ads approvals in San Francisco. It's a common frustration, and the system can often feel like a black box. You're right to consider local factors, but perhaps not in the way you might think—it’s less about specific rules for SF and more about the types of businesses concentrated there.

From my experience running campaigns, Google's core concern is always the same, no matter where you are: user safety and trust. They want to be sure that when someone clicks an ad, they land on a legitimate, trustworthy website that delivers on its promise. When ads get disapproved, it’s usually because something in the chain—from the ad text to the landing page—has broken that trust. Let's dig into what that actually means for you.

We'll need to look beyond 'local nuances'... It's about trust, not postcodes.

First off, let's get this idea of "local nuances" straightened out. Google doesn’t have a separate, secret rulebook for San Francisco. A policy on misleading claims in London is the same policy on misleading claims in SF. However, what San Francisco does have is a massive concentration of businesses in sectors that Google scrutinises heavily. I'm talking about tech (especially SaaS), financial services, healthcare tech, and real estate. These are all considered 'Your Money or Your Life' (YMYL) industries by Google, meaning they can significantly impact a person's health, happiness, or financial stability. Because of this, the review process for ads in these sectors is much, much stricter.

So, it’s not that you're in SF; it’s that you're likely operating in an industry that demands a higher standard of proof. Instead of thinking about rules, I want you to think about an unwritten 'Trust Score'. This isn't an official metric, but it’s how I conceptualise it. Every advertiser has one in Google's eyes. It's built on three pillars:

• Landing Page Experience: Is your website professional, transparent, and safe? Does it deliver what the ad promised?
• Ad & Keyword Relevance: Is your ad copy honest and directly related to your keywords and landing page?
• Account History: Are you a new advertiser with no track record, or have you consistently run compliant ads over time?

Every disapproval chips away at this score. Every successful, compliant campaign builds it up. Your job right now isn't to find a loophole in the rules; it's to start systematically building your Trust Score. Below is a simple visualisation of how this concept works over time. New accounts start with a neutral or low score, making them more vulnerable to automated flags. Consistent, compliant advertising slowly builds that trust, making future approvals smoother.

I'd say your landing page is the prime suspect...

Nine times out of ten, when an ad is disapproved for something vague like "Misleading representation" or "Unacceptable business practices," the problem isn't the ad itself. It's the landing page. Google's bots crawl your landing page with a fine-tooth comb, and they are incredibly sensitive to anything that smells untrustworthy. Your website needs to be an open book.

Here’s a checklist of things that are non-negotiable for a landing page that Google will trust:

• Crystal Clear Contact Information: You need a physical business address (a PO box can be a red flag), a business phone number, and an email address. Hiding this information is the fastest way to get your account suspended. It should be easily findable, usually in the footer and on a dedicated 'Contact Us' page.
• Robust Legal Pages: You absolutely must have a comprehensive Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. These can't be generic templates you've copied and pasted. They need to accurately reflect your business practices, especially concerning data collection if you're using analytics or lead forms.
• An Honest 'About Us' Page: Who are you? Who is behind the company? Putting real names and faces on your website builds immense trust, both for users and for Google's reviewers.
• No Exaggerated Claims: This is a big one. Avoid words like "guaranteed," "cure," "#1," or "best." Unless you can objectively prove it with a third-party source on the same page, don't say it. Instead of "We guarantee you'll triple your revenue," try "Our clients have seen an average revenue increase of X%." Be specific and verifiable.
• A Clear Business Model: Google needs to understand how you make money. Is it a service? A product? A subscription? If it's unclear, or if there are hidden costs, you'll be flagged. Be upfront about pricing wherever possible.
• Good User Experience: Your site must load quickly, be mobile-friendly, and free from intrusive pop-ups or aggressive advertising. A clunky, difficult-to-navigate website is seen as a low-quality signal.

To make this clearer, I've put together a simple flowchart that shows the essential components of a landing page that is built for trust. Think of it as a blueprint. If you're missing any of these elements, that's your first priority to fix.

You probably should rethink your ad copy...

Once your landing page is solid, the next link in the chain is the ad copy itself. The golden rule here is congruence. The promise you make in your ad must be *exactly* what the user finds when they land on your page. Any disconnect, however small, can trigger a disapproval for 'Misleading representation'.

Here are some common ad copy mistakes I see all the time:

• Clickbait and Sensationalism: Headlines like "The One Secret to X That Doctors Don't Want You to Know!" are an instant red flag. It's hype, not helpfulness.
• Improper Use of Trademarks: You can't use a competitor's brand name in your ad copy unless you are a certified reseller. You can bid on their keywords, but you can't put their name in your ad.
• Unrealistic Promises: As mentioned before, avoid making claims you can't back up immediately on the landing page. This includes price points. Don't say "Services from $49" in the ad if the first price a user sees on the page is $199.
• Grammar and Capitalisation: Poor spelling and grammar, or EXCESSIVE USE OF CAPS, are seen as signals of a low-quality, unprofessional advertiser. Write your ads like a professional.

Let's make this practical. Here are some before-and-after examples for a fictional SF-based software company. Notice how the 'Good' versions are more specific, less hypey, and set realistic expectations.

You'll need to understand Google's Restricted Categories...

This is where your location in San Francisco becomes highly relevant again. As I mentioned, many of the dominant industries there fall into categories that Google heavily restricts or requires special certification for. If your business touches on any of these, you have to play by a stricter set of rules. This isn't punishment; it's Google protecting its users from potential harm or fraud.

Some of the big ones include:

• Financial Services: If you offer loans, financial advice, cryptocurrency services, or anything related, you'll need to be certified by Google. This involves proving you're licenced by the relevant financial authorities. Your ads and landing page must also include clear disclaimers about risk.
• Healthcare and Medicines: You cannot make claims about curing diseases. You can't advertise prescription drugs without certification. Even ads for wellness apps or supplements are heavily scrutinised for making unproven health claims.
• Housing, Employment, and Credit (HEC): In the US, you are prohibited from using certain demographic targeting options (like age, gender, parental status, or postcode) for ads related to these areas to prevent discrimination.
• Gambling and Games: Requires state-specific licences and certifications. Very difficult to get approved.
• Alcohol: Heavily restricted based on local laws.

If your business falls into one of these buckets, you MUST read the specific Google Ads policy for that category. There's no way around it. Your first step should be to apply for any necessary certifications. Trying to run ads without them is a surefire way to get a suspension.

To help you get a better sense of your risk profile, I've built a small interactive calculator. Adjust the sliders based on your own business and landing page. It's not a definitive tool, but it should give you a gut check on where your biggest vulnerabilities might lie. If your score is coming up as high risk, the areas you've marked poorly are where you need to focus your attention immediately.

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:

Alright, that was a lot of information, I know. The key thing to remember is that this is a systematic process. You can't just fix one thing and expect all your problems to disappear. You need to build a foundation of trust with Google across your entire online presence. To make it more actionable, I've broken down my main advice into a table. I'd suggest treating this like a project plan. Work through each item, step-by-step, before you even think about submitting another ad for review.

Navigating all this can be a massive headache, especially when you're trying to run a business. The rules are complex, they change without much notice, and what worked yesterday might get you flagged tomorrow. While you can absolutely tackle this yourself, the process can be slow and costly if you make a mistake that leads to an account suspension.

This is often where bringing in an expert can make a huge difference. An experienced paid advertising consultant has seen these issues hundreds of times across dozens of accounts. We know how to interpret Google's vague disapproval notices, what to look for on a landing page, and how to communicate effectively with Google's support team. It's not about knowing secret tricks; it's about having the experience to quickly diagnose the root cause and implement the correct fix, saving you time, money, and a lot of frustration.

If you'd like an expert pair of eyes on your specific ads and website, we offer a completely free, no-obligation strategy session. We can get on a quick call, share screens, and I can give you my honest assessment of what's going wrong and what your immediate priorities should be. It's a great way to get some clarity and an actionable plan, wether you decide to work with us or not.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh