Solved: Google Ads Compliance Confusion (A Step-by-Step Fix)

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out!

I hear you, the Google Ads policy documentation can feel like trying to read a legal text in another language. It's dense, confusing, and it's easy to feel like you're just one wrong click away from getting your account shut down for good. A lot of people get completely stuck here and end up wasting a ton of money and time fighting the system.

I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts. The thing is, and this is where most people go wrong, tackling compliance isn't about memorising a thousand-page rulebook. It's about understanding the core philosophy behind the rules. Once you get that, everything else starts to make a lot more sense, and you can build campaigns that sail through approvals rather than constantly fighting them. Let's get into it.

Google Ads Compliance Isn't a Checklist, It's a Philosophy...

Right, first things first. You need to stop thinking of Google's policies as a set of arbitrary hurdles designed to make your life difficult. That's the mindset that leads to frustration and failure. Instead, think of it from their perspective. Google's entire business model relies on users trusting their search results. If users click on an ad and land on a spammy, misleading, or insecure website, they stop trusting Google. They stop clicking ads. And Google's revenue dries up.

So, every single policy, from the most obvious to the most obscure, is designed to answer one simple question: "Does this ad and its landing page provide a good, clear, and safe experience for the user?"

If the answer is "yes," you're 90% of the way there. If the answer is "no," or even "maybe," you're going to have problems. It's like building a house. You can try to find loopholes in the building code, use cheap materials, and cut corners. But you'll end up with a house that's unsafe and that nobody wants to live in. Or, you can follow the code because you understand it's there to help you build a safe, sturdy, valuable property. Your ad account is no different. We're not here to trick the algorithm; we're here to build a trustworthy system that the algorithm *wants* to promote.

The vast majority of compliance issues I see day-in, day-out aren't from people trying to sell illegal products. They're from well-meaning business owners who have unintentionally created a poor or untrustworthy user experience somewhere in their funnel. And the number one place this happens is the landing page.

I'd say you should fix your website before you even touch an ad...

Honestly, I'd bet that whatever compliance issues you're facing, the root cause is on your website, not in your ad copy. Before a human ever sees your ad, Google's bots crawl your landing page with a fine-tooth comb. They are looking for signals of trust and legitimacy. If your site fails this initial sniff test, your ad is dead on arrival, no matter how perfectly written it is. It's the single biggest point of failure, and most advertisers completely overlook it.

Trust Signals are Non-Negotiable

Think about walking into a physical shop. If the windows are dirty, the sign is broken, and there's no one at the counter, are you going to feel comfortable handing over your credit card details? Of course not. Your website is your digital shopfront, and it needs to project professionalism and trustworthiness. Here's what Google's bots are looking for:

• -> Contact Information: This is a huge one. You absolutely MUST have a physical address (even if it's a registered office), a phone number, and an email address clearly visible on your site. The best place is in the footer of every page and on a dedicated "Contact Us" page. It shows you're a real, contactable business and not some fly-by-night operation.
• -> Privacy Policy & Terms of Service: You cannot run ads, especially if you collect any user data (like through a contact form or a pixel), without a comprehensive Privacy Policy. It needs to be linked in your website footer. This isn't just a Google rule; it's a legal requirement in many places (like with GDPR). The same goes for Terms of Service, especially for eCommerce or SaaS businesses.
• -> Professional Design & Functionality: Does your site look like it was built in 1998? Is it riddled with annoying pop-ups? Does it take forever to load? These are all signals of a poor user experience. I remember one eCommerce client selling handcrafted products. Their ads kept getting flagged for "low quality destination." We looked at the site, and it was a mess – cluttered, slow, and the product images were blurry. We paused the ads for two weeks, they got a proper photographer and cleaned up the homepage design. When we relaunched, the ads were approved instantly. The ads hadn't changed, but the *user experience* had.

The Offer Must Be Crystal Clear

Beyond the basics of trust, the bots are trying to understand what you're actually offering and whether it's being presented honestly. Any ambiguity or deception is a massive red flag. This is where "Misleading Representation" policies often get triggered.

You need to ask yourself: can a first-time visitor understand exactly what I'm selling, how much it costs, and what the terms are, within about 10 seconds of landing on the page? If the answer is no, you have work to do.

• -> Pricing Transparency: If you're selling a product, the price needs to be clear. If it's a service, you need to explain your pricing model. Don't hide shipping costs until the final step of the checkout. Don't promise something is "free" and then require a credit card for a trial that auto-renews. We worked with a B2B SaaS client whose ads were struggling. Their landing page just said "Request a Demo." But the demo process was actually a qualification call that then led to a paid pilot program. Google saw a disconnect. We changed the page to be brutally honest: "Schedule a Qualification Call to see if our Paid Pilot is right for you." The conversion rate on the page dropped slightly, but the lead quality shot up, and the ad disapprovals stopped completely. Honesty is better than volume.
• -> No Vague Promises: Your landing page copy can't be full of unsubstantiated claims. Phrases like "the best in the UK," "guaranteed to work," or "make thousands overnight" are amateurish and will get you flagged. You need to be specific and truthful. Instead of "We'll triple your revenue," try "Our clients see an average of 45% revenue growth in the first six months." One is a wild claim; the other is a verifiable (and more believable) statistic.

To help you get a sense of where your site stands, I've put together a simple flowchart. Go through it honestly. It might highlight some immediate areas for improvement.

You'll need to stop writing ads and start writing promises...

Once your landing page is solid, you can turn your attention to the ads themselves. The core principle here is what marketers sometimes call "information scent" or "message match." Put simply, the promise you make in your ad must be *identically* reflected on the page the user lands on. Any disconnect, however small, breaks the user's trust and alerts Google's systems.

If your ad says "50% Off Summer Sale," the first thing the user should see on the landing page is a big headline that says "50% Off Summer Sale." If they have to hunt for the offer, or if it's not immediately obvious, that's a policy violation waiting to happen ("Bait and switch"). The journey from ad click to landing page should be seamless and logical.

Banned Words, Dangerous Claims, and Other Pitfalls

This is where common sense is your best guide. If it sounds too good to be true, it's not compliant. Google has a long list of prohibited and restricted content, but most of it boils down to protecting users from harm and deception.

• -> Exaggerated Claims: As mentioned before, words like "guaranteed," "miracle," "cures," "get rich quick," etc., are massive red flags. You are not allowed to guarantee results, especially in sensitive areas like finance, health, or personal improvement.
• -> Sensationalism and Clickbait: Avoid excessive punctuation (!!!), all caps (SALE NOW), or vague, alarming language ("You Won't Believe This One Weird Trick..."). Your ad should be professional and informative, not like a tabloid headline.
• -> Personal Attributes: You cannot imply that you know personal information about the user. For example, you can't say "Are you in debt?" or "Struggling with hair loss?". This is seen as invasive. Instead, you focus on the solution: "Debt management advice" or "Hair loss treatments." One speaks *to* a condition, the other speaks *about* a solution. It's a subtle but vital difference.

A Quick Word on Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI)

DKI is a feature where Google automatically inserts the user's search query into your ad headline. It can be powerful for improving relevance, but it is also an easy way to accidentally violate policy. If someone searches for a competitor's trademarked name, DKI could place that trademark in your ad, leading to an immediate disapproval. Or, if someone searches for something inappropriate, it could appear in your ad. My advice is to avoid it unless you are an advanced user with a very tightly controlled set of keywords. It's just not worth the risk for most advertisers.

Here’s a practical look at how to rephrase ad copy to be more compliant and, frankly, more professional.

You probably should know the special rules for your industry...

So far, we've covered the universal rules that apply to pretty much everyone. But this is where it gets trickier. Google applies an extra layer of scrutiny to certain industries that it considers "sensitive" or "high-risk." If you operate in one of these areas, you can't just follow the standard advice; you need to be aware of a completely seperate set of policies.

The reasoning is sound: bad advice or products in these areas can cause significant real-world harm. A dodgy financial product can bankrupt someone. A fake medical cure can kill someone. Therefore, the barrier to entry for advertising is much, much higher.

Here are the big ones to be aware of:

• -> Healthcare and medicines: This is one of the most restrictive categories. You generally cannot advertise prescription drugs directly to consumers (except in a few countries like the US and NZ). For things like online pharmacies, telehealth services, or even some medical devices, you'll need to apply for and receive a specific certification from Google. You also cannot make claims about curing incurable diseases, and all your claims must be backed by scientific evidence.
• -> Financial services: Another heavily regulated area. If you're advertising loans, debt services, cryptocurrency, or complex speculative products, you will likely need to be certified by Google. This involves proving that you are licensed by the relevant financial regulator in the country you're targeting. For example, in the UK, you'd need to be authorised by the FCA. You must also be transparent about interest rates (APRs), fees, and the risks involved.
• -> Gambling and games: To advertise anything related to online casinos, sports betting, or lotteries, you need to obtain a country-specific gambling certification from Google. You can only target approved countries, and your ads must have responsible gambling warnings. We’ve successfully navigated campaigns in this space, and it always requires a painstaking process of getting certified and ensuring every single ad and landing page complies with both Google's rules and the local gambling commission's regulations. It's not for beginners.
• -> Other restricted categories: There are many others, including alcohol, adult content, political advertising, and ads related to sensitive events.

The key takeaway here is this: if your business touches on health, money, or other sensitive life areas, you MUST proactively research the specific policies for your vertical. Don't assume the general rules are enough. You can find these specific policies in the Google Ads Help Centre. It's dry reading, but it's absolutely necessary.

To give you a better idea of the potential compliance overhead you might be facing, I've built a small interactive calculator. Adjust the sliders based on your business, and it will give you a rough idea of the level of policy scrutiny you should expect.

We'll need to look at how you handle disapprovals...

Even with the best intentions, you're going to get an ad disapproved at some point. It happens. The crucial part is how you react. This is where you can either fix the problem quickly or dig yourself into a much deeper hole that can lead to account suspension.

An ad disapproval is a slap on the wrist. An account suspension is a death sentence. Google has recently introduced a "three strikes" system for certain policies. You get a warning, then a first strike (a 3-day account pause), a second strike (a 7-day pause), and a third strike means your account is suspended. For good. This makes it more important than ever to handle disapprovals correctly from the start.

How to Appeal (and When Not To)

When an ad is disapproved, your first instinct might be to immediately hit the "Appeal" button and hope for the best. This is almost always the wrong move.

Appealing without fixing the underlying issue is like telling Google, "I've read your feedback, and I've decided to ignore it." Doing this repeatedly flags your account as a problem advertiser, making future approvals harder and pushing you closer to a suspension. The appeal function should only be used in two scenarios: 1) You have genuinely fixed the root cause of the problem, or 2) You are 100% certain Google's bot has made a mistake.

Here’s the process you should follow every single time:

1. Read the Policy: Don't just read the disapproval reason (e.g., "Malicious Software"). Click the link and read the actual policy page. Try to understand what Google is looking for. Sometimes "malicious software" can be triggered by something as simple as an out-of-date plugin on your WordPress site.
2. Identify the Root Cause: Is the problem in the ad copy? The keywords? The landing page? A link on the landing page? Be a detective. Use the flowchart I provided earlier. Check everything.
3. Fix it Thoroughly: Don't just make a tiny tweak. Make a significant, obvious change that addresses the policy. If your headline was too clickbaity, rewrite it to be straightforward. If your landing page was missing a privacy policy, add one.
4. Appeal: NOW you can appeal. When you do, use the text box to briefly and professionally explain what you've fixed. For example: "I have reviewed the Misleading Representation policy. I have rewritten the ad headline to be more specific and removed the unsubstantiated claims from the landing page. Please review the updated ad and page."

This shows you're taking the process seriously. It's a conversation, not a fight. By being diligent, you build a history of compliance with your account, which can actually help you with future reviews.

This is the main advice I have for you:

Navigating Google Ads compliance can feel overwhelming, but it boils down to a few core principles. It's less about avoiding punishment and more about proactively building a high-quality, trustworthy experience for your potential customers. Here’s a summary of the actionable steps you should take to build a more resilient and compliant advertising setup.

Why you might want to consider expert help...

Look, you can absolutley get a handle on this yourself. The advice I've laid out here covers the core fundamentals that will solve 90% of the compliance issues most advertisers face. It's about being diligent, honest, and user-focused.

However, the reality is that the policies are a moving target. They change constantly, the interpretation can have nuances, and sometimes a disapproval can be genuinely baffling. When your account is suspended, and your main source of leads dries up overnight, figuring this all out under pressure is an incredibly stressful and costly experience. An appeal for a suspension can take weeks, with no guarantee of success.

Working with a specialist isn't just about fixing a disapproved ad. It's about having someone who lives and breathes this stuff build a resilient strategy and account structure from the ground up, one that's designed to *avoid* these problems in the first place. It's about having an expert in your corner who can quickly diagnose a problem, communicate effectively with Google support, and get you back up and running fast when things go wrong.

It turns a reactive, stressful firefight into a proactive, strategic process. For many businesses, the peace of mind and the prevention of lost revenue is well worth the investment.

If you'd like a second pair of eyes to go through your specific setup and identify any potential compliance risks before they become major problems, we offer a free, no-obligation strategy session. We can take a look at your campaigns and landing pages and give you some actionable advice on the spot. It might be helpful to get a fresh perspective.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh