Overcome Google Ads restrictions for medical device, health tech, and pharma companies
If you’re a medical device, health tech, or pharma company struggling to get your Google Ads approved, don’t worry, this article can help.
Why did my ads get disapproved for Restricted Medical Content?
Google is committed to following advertising regulations for healthcare and medicine, thus they anticipate that the ads and destinations are in compliance with appropriate legislation and industry standards. Some healthcare-related material can’t be advertised at all, while others may only be advertised if the advertiser is certified with Google and focuses on specific countries. Determine whether local legislation applies to the locations you want to advertise in.
What is Restricted medical content?
Restricted medical content refers to any type of advertising that promotes prescription drugs or devices, over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, or other treatments for physical or mental illnesses. These types of ads must meet a number of specific requirements before they can be approved by Google. Unlike ads for other industries, healthcare ads can take much longer for it to be approved, especially for newer accounts.
How to avoid having your ads disapproved?
The best way to avoid having your ads disapproved is to make sure that they meet all of the requirements for Restricted medical content. This includes making sure that you have the necessary licenses and permissions in place, and that your ad text and images are compliant with Google’s policies.
In most parts of the world, Google prohibits the use of prescription drug names in ad text, landing pages, keywords, or source code on a web page.
- Certain companies, such as online pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers, may utilize prescription drug terms in ad text and landing pages for campaigns targeting Canada, New Zealand, or the United States. While you don’t need to be certified to run your advertisements, you must be certified in order to target prescription drug terms. These organizations must be approved by Google in order to serve ads – see below how to do so.
- If you’re advertising in Canada, New Zealand, or the United States, you can’t include prescription drug keywords in your ad text or landing pages.
- In rare circumstances, and where authorized by local legislation, Google occasionally permits exceptions to this policy for government or well-established non-profit health advocacy organizations’ public health and safety awareness efforts. If you wish to request permission to utilize prescription drug terminology in ad text, landing pages, keywords, or source code on a website, you can contact Google directly
Apply for a healthcare advertising certificate ASAP
The best way to ensure that your campaigns are successful is to apply for a healthcare advertising certificate. This will give you access to additional resources and support from Google, as well as help you avoid having your ads disapproved.
In order to be approved, your company must meet a number of requirements, including being licensed and registered in the countries where you plan to advertise. You can find more information about how to apply for a healthcare advertising certificate directly on this page – https://support.google.com/google-ads/troubleshooter/6099627
Contact Google support and ask for a dedicated account strategist
In most instances, we all want to avoid getting on the phone with a Google account strategist to discuss campaign performance. However, when it comes to healthcare accounts, you want to make sure you connect with one.
Here are some reasons to work with a dedicated account strategist:
- Exclusive Beta Access (with NDA)
- Resources such as Account Health Reports, Optimization Reports, and specific Industry/Vertical & Market Trends (with NDA).
- New product resources and training
What to do when your ads are disapproved due to restricted medical content
Don’t panic! Just follow the steps in the next section.
How to appeal a disapproved ad due to restricted medical content
If you think your ad was disapproved by mistake, you can appeal the decision.
To appeal just follow these steps:
– Sign in to your Google Ads account.
– Navigate to the ads tab. In the status column, you should see which ads are disapproved.
– Hover over the status and a window should pop up which will allow you to edit or appeal the ad
– Click appeal and it should take you to the policy page
– Select the reason for appeal (if you think Google made a mistake, just click on “dispute decision
– Next, select what you are appealing
That’s it! You should hear back within 24-48 hours of their decision by going to the policy manager page. To get there, just use the search bar at the top right and search for policy manager.
Bonus tip – Contact your dedicated account strategist and have them escalate your appeal on your behalf. If you don’t have one, you can also contact general support and request an escalated and/or manual review.
In conclusion, it’s important to be aware of Google’s Restricted Medical Content policy if you’re advertising in Canada, New Zealand, or the United States. By following the steps above, you can ensure that your campaigns will stay on track and avoid disapprovals.
If you have any questions or need help troubleshooting an issue, don’t hesitate to reach out to your dedicated account strategist or general support. They are more than happy to assist!
Remember,
– Apply for a healthcare advertising certificate
– If your ad is disapproved due to restricted medical content, appeal the decision
– Work with a dedicated account strategist for best success
– Contact general support for escalated review if needed.
