Did your Google Ads account recently get suspended? Or, has your account been suspended for a while and you’re wondering if it’s too late to do something about it? If you want to get a suspended Google Ads account restored, don’t give up because there is hope.
Why does Google suspend PPC ad accounts?
Before diving into how to get your account reinstated, it’s important to understand why your account was suspended in the first place.
In short, Google suspends ad accounts that violate the terms of service for running ads on Google’s platform. This is the obvious answer, but it’s also frustrating because many people get their accounts suspended and have no idea how they violated the terms of service to start with.
There are many people who have had their accounts suspended for violations that they claim are not even related to how they were using their accounts.
It is possible to have your account suspended when you didn’t actually violate the terms. For instance, some accounts are suspended automatically based on AI-powered algorithms that detect suspicious activity that could actually be legitimate.
This could explain why Google suspends so many accounts. For instance, in 2001, Google blocked 3.4 billion ads and suspended 5.6 million accounts.
Even more confusing, when your account does get suspended, Google doesn’t exactly give you the details you need to correct the violation. If your account has been suspended, you’ve probably received a notice from Google stating the general reason(s) for your suspension, but no details.
This is likely intentional, as Google doesn’t want anyone to figure out how to game the system. If they gave away too many details for each infraction, illegitimate businesses would figure out how to fly under the radar.
A common violation example is when people use Google ads to collect leads, but they go about it the wrong way. You can use ads to collect leads, but you need to have a strong, well-designed, purposeful landing page on the other end to have your ads approved.
While it’s clear that Google has some issues with suspending accounts for violations that may not actually have occurred, that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. In fact, if you can prove that your account didn’t violate Google’s terms through the appeal process, you can get your account reinstated. Even if you have violated Google’s terms, it’s still possible to get your account restored.
How to restore a suspended Google Ads account
There are three basic steps to restoring a suspended ad account with Google.
1. Identify the violation
The first thing to do is take some time to look at your account and pinpoint where you broke the rules. If you don’t feel like you’ve actually broken the rules, look for something that Google might interpret as a violation. It may not make sense to you but look from Google’s perspective to see if you can find something.
If you can’t figure this part out, call a professional marketing agency to help you. If you can’t figure out why your account was suspended, you’ll really struggle to get your account reinstated.
2. Fix the problem
Once you have an idea of what specifically caused your account to be terminated, fix the problem if possible. Some issues won’t be possible to resolve on your end, so just do what you can.
3. Craft and submit a compelling appeal
When you’ve resolved the problem(s) that led to your suspension, you can start working on going through the appeals process. Google explains the appeal process here, so take the time to read through it to understand where the company is coming from concerning suspensions.
You’ll notice a list of policy violations considered to be egregious, so be aware that if you’ve violated any of these you may not succeed in getting your account reinstated.
If your appeal is denied, you can always submit another one, but keep in mind that submitting too many appeals – or submitting the same appeal without new information – will likely just result in more denials.
Google will be more likely to reinstate your ads account if your violation was a mistake. However, it’s not impossible to get an account reinstated for smaller violations. The thing is if you want the best chance at getting your account restored you’ll need to be exceptionally convincing with your appeal.
Hire a marketing agency to craft your appeal
Ultimately, you’ll have the best chance of succeeding when you hire a marketing agency to create your appeal. The most convincing appeals are crafted by professional marketing teams. For the best chance at getting your account reinstated, skip the DIY methods and go straight for their expertise.