Google Shopping Policy Update: Abusing the Ad Network [Video]

Google Shopping Policy Update: Abusing the Ad Network

In a recent update to its shopping ads policy, Google has made changes that could impact e-commerce sites and advertisers managing free listings through Google Merchant Center. The update, effective as of November 2023, specifically targets shopping ads and introduces clarifications to the existing malicious or unwanted software policy. In this post, we’ll delve into the details of the new update, how it may affect you, and what steps you can take to ensure compliance.

Understanding the Existing Policy

The pre-update policy, known as the malicious or unwanted software policy, broadly restricted advertising for websites containing malicious software (malware) or unwanted software. Any compromise of a site’s security, intentional or unintentional, fell under this single umbrella policy.

The New Segmentation

Google is now breaking down the existing policy into three distinct subsections, providing a more nuanced approach to address different issues:

1. Malicious …