Understanding Google’s New Online Advertising Standards
Does the idea of an ad blocker appeal to you?
Why?
You’re annoyed by ads, you say?
Google understands. So do we. Ads that are intrusive, irrelevant or just plain annoying defeat the purpose of advertising – which is to connect products and services with people who need them or could truly benefit.
Digital targeting is so specific these days that when done right, advertising is a true asset. It’s how many websites stay afloat. It’s how both national and local companies connect with customers and get new business. Perhaps it’s an activity that your business is engaging in right now.
Intrusive digital ads, though, just make for a poor user experience. You’re not hurting our feelings by saying that. We put a lot of thought into not making those kind of ads.
Google doesn’t want internet users to throw all ads out the window and download ad blocking software. That’s why they’ve announced a plan that will ban the most annoying digital ads – beginning in February 2018.
WHAT ADS ARE BANNED?
Ads that do not adhere to the Better Ads Standards Report will be banned. In some cases, the offensive ads are due to content of the advertising itself; in some cases, the ads are controlled by website owners (publishers), or those who place the digital advertising. Publishers that violate these new restrictions will be placed on a “failing” list. During this time, Chrome will continue to show other ads on the site, but if the publisher does not remove the offensive ads after 30 days, all ads from the site will be blocked to Chrome users.
These are the types of ads for mobile, desktop and tablet users that will be banned on Chrome:
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Interstitial or Pop-Up Ads: These ads pop up after a user is on a page, blocking the content.
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Prestitial Ads: These ads appear on a page before the content has loaded, blocking the user from content. Sometimes they appear with countdowns, requiring the user to wait before they can dismiss these ads.
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Flashing animated ads: Ads that quickly “flash” rapid color changes or backgrounds are considered highly aggravating. Subtle animation will be allowed.
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High Density Ads: When advertising on a site takes up more than 30% of the screen, making content difficult to consume, the ad is high density.
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Sticky Ads: An ad is considered “sticky” if it remains persistent while the user is scrolling on the page and unable to close the ad.
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Auto-Playing Video Ads with Sound: These ads require a user to quickly take an action to silence the ad, which most consider a nuisance. Ads that require a click to activate sound are acceptable.
WHAT SHOULD ADVERTISERS DO?
At Verdin, we closely track user preferences in ads to avoid creating and placing ads that will negatively impact someone’s website experience. If you’re an advertiser, it’s important to know if you’re adhering to these new regulations:
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Make sure your creative content is respectful of the user experience.
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Work with knowledgeable and respected digital buying partners who are familiar with the types of ads that are likely to be banned and their placement.