Google Ads Disapproved Compromised Site: Understanding the Problem and How to Fix It

Running ads through Google Ads requires maintaining a secure and trustworthy website for successful campaigns. However, many website owners face a frustrating issue: ads getting disapproved due to a “compromised site” warning. If you’ve encountered this, it means Google has detected your website as possibly hacked or compromised, leading to the automatic disapproval of your ads.

Google Ads Disapproved Compromised Site image

In this article, we’ll dive into why your Google Ads might be disapproved due to a compromised site, how to resolve it, and how services like TrafficShield and using approved trackers can help you safeguard your site, ensuring you avoid such issues in the future.

What Does “Google Ads Disapproved Compromised Site” Mean?

When Google detects that a site has been compromised, it usually means one or more of the following:

  • Malware or suspicious scripts have been injected into your website’s pages.
  • Phishing attempts or other forms of deceptive content are present.
  • Unauthenticated access has been detected on your server, which may allow third parties to manipulate the content or gather sensitive data.
  • Redirects to malicious sites have been added to your pages, tricking users into visiting unsafe or irrelevant destinations.

Google Ads is incredibly sensitive to the presence of these threats, and they will instantly disapprove any ads leading to a compromised site. This is because Google aims to protect its users from malicious content while ensuring advertisers maintain the highest quality standards. If your ads get disapproved due to this reason, Google is flagging your site as a potential risk.

Common Reasons for Google Ads Disapproving a Compromised Site

There are a few specific reasons why your website may be flagged as compromised by Google:

  1. Malware or Malicious Code: Hackers often inject malware into a website’s code, which may go unnoticed by the site owner but can harm users.
  2. Phishing Pages: Hackers may set up phishing schemes on your site, tricking visitors into giving away personal information like passwords or credit card numbers.
  3. Unwanted Redirects: Your website may be altered to redirect users to malicious sites, which harms the user experience and can lead to trust issues.
  4. Vulnerable Plugins or Themes: If you’re running a WordPress or similar content management system (CMS) with outdated plugins or themes, your site is vulnerable to attacks, which could trigger the compromised site warning.

Immediate Steps to Take if Your Site is Compromised

If you’ve received the disapproved ad notice, it’s critical to act fast. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Identify the Problem

Start by identifying the exact nature of the compromise. Google Search Console offers alerts when your site is compromised, and you can check for security issues under the “Security & Manual Actions” tab. Alternatively, use malware scanning services like Sucuri or Wordfence to locate and isolate the problem.

2. Remove Malicious Content

Identify the problem and remove malicious content, scripts, or links from your website. If the compromise is severe, this may involve removing specific files, deleting unwanted plugins, or restoring the entire website from a clean backup.

Disapproved Malicious Software

3. Update Your Website

Ensure all your software, plugins, and themes are up-to-date, as vulnerabilities in outdated components are a common way for hackers to infiltrate your site. Keeping everything updated reduces the risk of future compromises.

4. Strengthen Security Measures

  • Change all passwords, especially for your website’s admin accounts, hosting accounts, and databases.
  • Add security plugins: For WordPress users, plugins like Wordfence or iThemes Security can help lock down your site and prevent future attacks.
  • Enable two-factor authentication on any accounts associated with your website.

5. Request a Review from Google

After cleaning your website, you need to request a review from Google to remove the compromised site status. Go to the “Ads & Extensions” tab in your Google Ads account, locate the disapproved ad, and follow the steps to submit your site for review. Also, check Google Search Console for any remaining warnings and request reconsideration if necessary.

How TrafficShield and Approved Trackers Can Help

Security and performance tools like TrafficShield can provide an additional layer of protection to prevent your site from being compromised in the future. Here’s how:

1. Blocking Malicious Traffic

TrafficShield detects and blocks malicious traffic before it reaches your website. It functions as a robust Web Application Firewall (WAF), filtering out harmful requests and protecting your site from bots, DDoS attacks, SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other cyberattacks. By keeping your site secure, TrafficShield helps you stay compliant with Google, reducing the risk of ad disapprovals.

2. Using Approved Trackers

Another reason for compromised site warnings may be the use of unapproved or malicious tracking tools. Many website owners unknowingly install plugins or scripts that track visitors’ behavior but expose them to security risks.

Using approved trackers ensures that your website data collection practices are legitimate and don’t raise red flags with Google. Approved tracking tools, such as Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager, comply with Google’s security guidelines and can help you avoid the disapproval of your ads. By monitoring your users through trusted tools, you mitigate the risk of tracking-related security breaches.

Check list of approved click trackers by google here

3. Real-time Monitoring

TrafficShield also provides real-time monitoring of your site’s traffic, alerting you to any suspicious activity. This allows you to respond quickly to any security threats, minimizing the damage caused by hackers or malware.

The Benefits of Using TrafficShield for Google Ads Compliance

Enhanced Site Security: By filtering out malicious traffic and potential threats, TrafficShield ensures your website remains secure, reducing the likelihood of Google flagging your site as compromised.

Improved Performance: Google Ads values fast, reliable websites. With TrafficShield in place, your website’s performance improves by optimizing content delivery and reducing the load on your server, which can also enhance your Quality Score and ad rankings.

Reduced Ad Disapprovals: Since TrafficShield proactively blocks malicious requests and prevents your site from being compromised, you will experience fewer disapproved ads due to security issues, allowing your ad campaigns to run smoothly.

Final Thoughts

Receiving a “Google Ads Disapproved Compromised Site” warning can be alarming, but it’s a situation that can be resolved with quick action and proper security measures. By ensuring your website is malware-free, constantly updated, and well-protected with tools like TrafficShield, you can avoid these issues and maintain a high-quality website that performs well with Google Ads.

Additionally, using approved trackers ensures that your tracking data is safe and secure, and in compliance with Google’s guidelines. Regularly scanning your website for vulnerabilities, removing malicious content, and improving overall security will prevent future disapprovals, allowing your campaigns to thrive without interruption.

Incorporating TrafficShield and approved tracking tools as part of your website’s defense strategy will not only protect your online presence but also provide a better user experience, resulting in increased conversions and revenue.

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