Do you use Google advertising for housing, employment or credit products/services? If so, this update is for you!

Google recently announced a policy update to take place on October 19, 2020, to introduce new targeting restrictions for businesses.   

While you must comply with this policy update, there’s no reason to panic! So, what do these restrictions entail?

In this blog, we’ll break down this policy update and explain why it’s important to partner with an agency, like RevLocal, when it comes to your digital marketing efforts.

What Is Google’s Personalized Advertising Policy Update?

Starting on October 19^th, Google is going to prohibit advertisers from targeting by age, gender, parental status, marital status or zip code for campaigns relating to credit, housing and employment.

This means that advertisers will no longer be able to target audiences on Google Display or Search with those personalized advertising options.

Here are a few specific examples per industry type (keep in mind that ads are not limited to these examples):

• Housing – Housing listing sites (such as Zillow), individual houses for sale or rent and any real estate services.
• Employment – Ads for jobs, recruitment sites (such as Indeed) and job listing sites.
• Credit – Credit cards, loans including home, car, appliance and short-term.

As an advertiser, you will receive a notification in your Google Ads account prompting you to acknowledge this policy change. If you haven’t acknowledged the change by October 19^th, you will be unable to create any new campaigns until you do so.

If you are using any age, gender, parental status, marital status or zip code targeting in your ads after this policy goes into effect, your ads will no longer be able to serve your audiences.

To avoid a negative impact and a pause in your advertising efforts, make sure to adjust your ads before October 19^th hits!

Please note that this policy change will only apply to advertisers in the United States and Canada, or if you’re targeting these locations.

Why Is the Policy Being Changed?

So, why is Google implementing this policy change?

Here’s what Google had to say, “In an effort to improve inclusivity for users disproportionately affected by society’s biases, we don’t allow some categories of products or services to be targeted to specific audiences. This is in addition to existing ads policies that prohibit discrimination and personalized ads policies that prohibit use of Identity and Belief categories.”

What it boils down to is that Google wants to make sure that targeted consumers are being protected and remove any potential bias.

In fact, this policy change is very similar to the policy that Facebook already has in place with their special ad categories. Having policies that align across platforms will help you stay consistent with your advertising. Plus, you won’t have to remember different policies.

To learn more about personalized advertising on Google, be sure to check out this support article.

Why You Should Partner With a Digital Marketing Agency

Policy changes can be confusing if you’re trying to handle your business’s advertising on your own. However, you don’t have to tackle these changes alone!

At RevLocal, our team of experts is already ahead of the game when it comes to Google’s latest policy update. Instead of targeting by zip code, our best practice is to target by radius, which can ultimately create more exposure in comparison to targeting by zip codes.

We also utilize other forms of targeting that do not involve gender, income, parental status and marital status.

With these best practices already in place before Google announced their policy change, we will be ready for a smooth transition so our clients are not affected by this change.

Click here to read more about the RevLocal difference and why you should consider us as your digital marketing partner.

Final Thoughts

Google’s latest policy change for businesses related to housing, employment and credit is important and you must comply with these updates if you want to continue running Google Display or Search ads.

Sometimes, though, keeping up with all the changes can be overwhelming.

When you partner with us, we have your paid advertising handled. From day one when you meet with a local digital marketing consultant, we want to keep your business’s best interest at the forefront. 

Our team uses data, current trends and best practices to create a strategy that’s right for your specific business. We’ll take the time to learn about you, your business and what you want to accomplish so your strategy is personalized to your needs.

If you’re ready to take your digital marketing off your plate, we’re here to help! Contact us today to start your journey with RevLocal.