Controversy Surrounding Google’s Search Ads on Sketchy Sites

Adalytics recently found that websites that don’t follow Google’s publisher policies have Google Search Partner ads on them. For advertisers, this brings up issues of openness and the security of their brands. Ads on search-related websites and apps can be seen through the Google Search Partner network, which was established in 2003. The research discovered that more than 51,000 websites had the Google Custom Search engine JavaScript enabled, suggesting that they are part of the network. However, Google has not released a comprehensive list of the websites in the network.

A Compromising Report on Placement

According to the Adalytics report, there were multiple instances where advertisers discovered their ads on suspicious websites, even after blocking them. It appears that Google Ads’ “excluded placements” setting might not be functioning properly. Pornographic websites, websites in countries sanctioned by the United States, and websites infringing on copyrights were singled out in the report. It was also found that websites in sanctioned countries, such as Russia and Iran, displayed Google search ads funded by the US Treasury. These results make marketers think about issues of ethics and openness.

Confidentiality and Openness Concerns

Advertisers are worried about the Google Search Partner network’s lack of transparency. People often say that the network is a “black box” because there isn’t much information about who can access it. Without knowing exactly where their ads are appearing, advertisers may start to doubt the platform and think about taking their money elsewhere. Antitrust litigation has been a growing problem for tech companies like Google in recent years, adding fuel to the fire of mistrust.

Being an Effective Advertiser

Marketers can take a number of proactive measures to counter advertisements displayed on dubious content and reclaim management of their ad placements:

1. Remove your search campaigns from the Google Search Partner Network.

When advertisers use this campaign-level option, they can choose to exclude themselves from the Google Search Partner network. Ads cannot be shown on partner websites unless the “Include Google search partners” box is unchecked in the Search campaign settings.

2. Go over your account’s content suitability settings.

Ads on YouTube and Display allow users to check and change content suitability settings. From “Tools and settings >> Setup >> Content suitability,” advertisers have the option to select between expanded, standard, or limited inventory. “Limited inventory” is the most secure option for protecting your brand.

3. Evaluate Display Campaign Placements

Although Google does not reveal the exact placement of individual Search ads on the third-party network, advertisers can learn more about ad placements by looking at their Display campaigns. Click on “Content >> Where ads showed” on the left side of the screen to access a specific Display campaign. From there, advertisers can view the domains where their ads were displayed. They can use this data to block campaigns or accounts that they determine to be using questionable or underperforming websites or apps.

4. Exclude More Content with Advanced Settings

Ads can further customize their content exclusions with advanced settings found in the same section as content suitability settings. Some examples of what can’t be included are videos, websites, apps, labels, themes, keywords, and sensitive content. To reduce the likelihood that their ads will appear on dubious content, advertisers can make use of these advanced settings.