When integrating placeholders into your site, it's crucial to adhere to Google ad placement policies to maintain compliance and ensure a positive user experience. As a Google Certified Publishing Partner, Ezoic must strictly follow these guidelines. This article will provide you with detailed information on which pages and areas should be avoided for placeholder placements, common mistakes to watch out for, and best practices to ensure your ads do not disrupt your site's content. By following these rules, you can optimize ad placement effectively while maintaining a seamless browsing experience for your visitors.

To ensure proper ad placement compliance with Google’s ad policies, it is critical to follow specific guidelines. This section discusses the key areas to avoid and best practices for placing ad placeholders on your site.

Pages to Avoid for Placeholder Additions

Some pages must be exempt from any placeholder additions due to ad placement policies:

1. Paywalled Pages: Pages behind a paywall or those that Google’s robot.txt or our team cannot access should not contain placeholders. Ensure that both Google’s and Ezoic's teams have access before adding any ads.
2. Auto-Redirect or Auto-Refresh Pages: Avoid these pages as their dynamic nature can lead to policy violations.
3. Dynamic Content Pages: Pages where dynamic content is the primary focus, such as live chats, instant messaging, or auto-refreshing comments, should not have placeholders.
4. About Us, Contact Us, and Privacy Pages: These specific pages should remain free of any placeholders to maintain compliance.

Avoiding Content Violations

When adding placeholders, avoid:

1. Overlapping Content: Ensure placeholders do not cover site content. Double-check all placeholder sizes to prevent overlap.
2. Content Obstruction: Placeholders should not be placed where site content could cover them. Pay special attention to mobile versions to avoid this issue.
3. Overlapping Placeholders: Avoid placing multiple placeholders in a way that they overlap with each other or with the content.

Prohibited Practices Around Placeholders

Do not add elements that could mislead users or bring unnatural attention to the ads:

1. Animations and Symbols: Avoid any animations, arrows, or other symbols pointing to the ad.
2. Misleading Headers or Labels: Do not label ads as resources, helpful links, or anything that might mislead users.
3. Encouragement to Click: Do not use any encouragements to click the ad.
4. Related Images: Avoid placing images that give the impression they are related to the ads.

Ensuring User Experience

Visitors should easily navigate and interact with your site without accidentally clicking on ads or being confused by the content versus ads. If any placeholder causes these issues, identify it by noting the page and placeholder number using the Ezoic Chrome extension. Adjust the position or size of the placeholder to resolve the issue and maintain a seamless user experience.

When incorporating placeholders on your site, adhere to the following best practices to ensure compliance with Google ad placement policies and optimize user experience:

1. Ad Placement Compliance:
   • Avoid Restricted Pages: Do not add placeholders on pages behind a paywall, or those inaccessible to Google's robots or Ezoic's team due to restrictions like robot.txt.
   • Steer Clear of Auto-Redirect/Auto-Refresh Pages: Pages that auto-redirect or auto-refresh should not have placeholders as it violates policies.
   • Dynamic Content Pages: Refrain from adding placeholders to pages where dynamic content is the primary focus, such as live chats or auto-refreshing comments.
   • Static Pages: Avoid placeholders on "About Us," "Contact Us," and "Privacy Policy" pages.
2. Ad Placement Positioning:
   • Content Interference: Ensure placeholders are not placed over site content. Verify that placeholder sizes are appropriate to prevent overlapping with content, especially on mobile versions.
   • Avoid Overlaps: Placeholders should not overlap with each other or with the site content.
3. Ad Presentation:
   • Avoid Misleading Enhancements: Do not use animations, arrows, or other symbols to draw unnatural attention to ads.
   • Proper Labeling: Avoid misleading headers or labels such as labeling ads as "resources" or "helpful links."
   • No Click Encouragement: Do not include any content that encourages users to click on ads.
   • Ad-Content Distinction: Ensure that images or other elements do not give the impression that they are part of the ads.
4. User Experience Optimization:
   • Natural Interaction: Make it easy for site visitors to navigate and interact with your site without accidentally clicking on ads or getting confused about the nature of the content and ads.
   • Placeholder Issue Resolution: If any placeholders cause compliance issues, identify the specific placeholder using tools like the Ezoic Chrome extension. Adjust the placeholder's position or size to resolve the issue promptly.

By following these best practices, you can maintain a policy-compliant site that offers a seamless and transparent user experience while leveraging ad placements effectively.