Navigating the Google Publisher Restrictions: What You Need to Know!

Navigating the Google Publisher Restrictions: What You Need to Know!

The future of ad monetization in the era of Google Publisher Restrictions is a topic that has become increasingly important for publishers in recent years. As Google continues to refine its policies and regulations, publishers must stay up-to-date with the latest developments to ensure they are maximizing their revenue while complying with Google’s guidelines.

In this article, we will explore the impact of Google’s latest policy changes on publishers and offer insights into how they can adapt to these changes to optimize their ad revenue. 

What is Google Publisher Restriction

The Google Publisher Restrictions pertain to content that is not allowed to receive certain types of advertising from specific sources. This includes any content found on your page or app, such as other ads or links to other sites or apps.

Although monetizing restricted content is not a policy violation, advertising will be restricted based on the preferences of each advertising product or individual advertiser. This means that sometimes no advertising sources will bid on your inventory and no ads will be displayed on restricted content.

While buyers from multiple sources, including Google Ads, Authorized Buyers, DV360, Reservations, and others, may still display limited ads on restricted content, Google Ads will not serve on content labeled with these restrictions.

Choosing to monetize restricted content may result in receiving less advertising than non-restricted content. It’s important to note that these restrictions are in addition to any other policies that govern your use of Google publisher products.

What is The Differences of Google Publisher Policies and Google Publisher Restriction

Google Publisher Policies and Google Publisher Restrictions are both sets of guidelines and regulations for publishers using Google’s advertising platform, but they differ in their focus and scope.

Google Publisher Policies provide publishers with a set of guidelines for creating and managing content on their website or app that is eligible for advertising. These policies cover a wide range of topics such as prohibited content, ad placement, and user experience.

On the other hand, Google Publisher Restrictions identify specific types of content that are not eligible to receive certain sources of advertising. If your content is labeled with a restriction, it will receive fewer bids from advertising sources and may not display any ads at all. The restrictions apply to any content present on your page or app, including other ads and links to other sites or apps.

In summary, Publisher Policies provide guidelines for creating eligible content, while Publisher Restrictions limit the advertising sources for specific types of content.

Google Publisher Restrictions are organized into the following categories:

1. Content Restrictions

  • Sexual Content : Is content that contains nudity, provides advice regarding sexual performance.
  • Shocking Content : Is content that contains gruesome, graphic, or disgusting accounts or imagery, depicts acts of violence.
  • Explosives : Is content that promotes the sale of products that are designed to explode and could cause damage to nearby people or property.
  • Weapons : Is content that promotes the sale of other weapons that are designed or promoted as products that can be used to injure an opponent in sport, self-defense, or combat.
  • Tobacco : Is content that promotes the sale of tobacco and tobacco-related products.
  • Recreational Drugs : Is content that provides instructions on producing, purchasing, or using recreational drugs.
  • Online Gambling : Is content that enables users to participate in online, real-money gambling or any internet-based game where money or other items of value are paid or wagered in exchange for the opportunity to win real money or prizes based on the outcome of the game.

2. Behavioral Restriction

  • Ads Interfering : Google prohibits ads served by them that either partially or fully obscure content for any duration of time.
  • Content obscuring Google-served ads : Google does not permit content that either fully or partially obscures ads served by them.

How to resolve Google publisher restrictions

The Policy center provides comprehensive information about issues that may restrict ads from appearing on your sites, site sections, or pages, and guides you through the necessary steps to resolve such issues with ad serving. If the “Must fix” column shows “No”, it indicates that your site’s content falls under Google Publisher Restrictions. Although you can still monetize this content, you may receive reduced advertising as not all ad sources will be eligible to bid on it.

To address any publisher restrictions on your site, section, or pages, you can request a review after making the necessary changes. Alternatively, you can remove AdSense ad code from your pages if you wish to stop serving ads on them. The pages will then be automatically removed from the Policy center within 7-10 days.

In conclusion, Google Publisher Restrictions play an important role in regulating the types of content that can be monetized by publishers using Google’s advertising platform. Publishers must be aware of the restrictions that apply to their content to ensure they comply with Google’s guidelines and maximize their ad revenue. By accessing the Policy center and following the necessary steps to resolve any issues with ad serving, publishers can address any publisher restrictions on their site, section, or pages. Overall, staying up-to-date with the latest developments in Google’s policies and regulations is crucial for publishers looking to optimize their ad revenue and maintain a positive relationship with Google.You can read about Google Publisher Policies here and If you want to talk more about Google publisher restrictions, reach out to us here!

Sources : Google Publisher Restriction