Overcoming a Quality Score SlapSean MarshallDirector SEM, PPC Associateswww.PPCAssociates.com

Quality Score Slaps 101

What is a Quality Score Slap? Advertiser is banned from AdWords due

to either manual review or automated analysis

Includes all accounts linked to “bad account” and potentially IP addresses too

How Do You Know You’ve Been Slapped? Email from Google telling you QS of 1s across the board Can’t get clicks on your

account Having some ad text

disapproved or a few keywords with QS 1 is not a slap!

A decline in traffic is not a slap, unless the decline goes to 1 or 0 clicks a day

Reasons for Slaps, #1: Categorization

Sources: https://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=66238; http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/static.py?hl=en&guide=28439&topic=30210&page=guide.cs&answer=190447

Reasons for Slaps, #2: Multiple Violations of Ts & Cs

Reasons for Slaps, #3: Egregious One-Time Violation

Sources: http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/static.py?hl=en&topic=28449&guide=28446&page=guide.cs

Reasons for Slaps, #4: Error by Google Miscategorized? Site outage? Phone number?!!!

Overcoming a Slap

Step 1: Figure out the problem Talk to your Google rep – they have a

tool! No rep? Call Google customer support or

find someone with a rep

Step 2: Start Your Investigation Who is responsible? Are

they still at your company? Was it a mistake or

intentional? Has it been corrected? How do you know it won’t

happen again?

Step 3: Prepare Your Case – Summary of Potential Arguments Unique Relevant Legitimate Lucrative Reformed

Uniqueness Arguments We were one of the first

companies in this space We are the only

company to offer 24/7 customer support

Every product on our site is tested by experts

Relevancy Arguments We buy keywords like

“widget” and “blue widget” because we sell these items

We have more than 50 AdWords landing pages tailored to specific ad groups

Ad groups have specific ad text

Most keywords have a QS of >7

ImageSource: http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2008/6/21/thisthreadis128585095970765586.jpg

Legitimacy Arguments We have raised X millions of

dollars We have served more than

500,000 customers. We have an A+ rating from the

BBB We’ve been in business since

1995 We won six Webbys

Lucrative Arguments In the last year, we’ve

spend $XXX,XXX on Google AdWords

Our financial plan calls for an increase of X% in this budget for FY 2011

Our market is growing by X% a year

ImageSource: http://blog.adhack.com/2010/01/26/suggested-2010-resolution-for-ad-agencies-understand-the-google/

Reformed Arguments We have put

mechanisms in place to make sure this won’t happen again

The guy who did this was fired

We will strive to far exceed minimum AdWords compliance standards

Step 4: Submit Request Re-Instatement Be polite not combative Don’t talk about the competition Ask your rep to personally plead your

case (office hours?) Be prepared to follow through on

promises immediately Follow up until you get an answer

Thank You! sean@ppcassociates.com www.ppcassociates.com (PPC agency) www.blogation.net (PPC blog)