If you’re just getting started with the Google Ad Grant and have submitted your application via google.com/nonprofits it’s not uncommon for us to hear stories from causes who have had their application rejected.
Reasons given by Google support can sometimes be semi-cryptic with statements like “make website load faster; put current info on your website” – ok making the website faster is clear (not always easy though), whilst people are often scratching their heads wondering what do they mean by “current info”?!
The above is just one example of the type of feedback you might see from support – the exact terminology used is often luck of the draw depending on which support rep deals with your request.
Fear not.
The above is easily fixed.
Ad Grant Rejection Driving You Mad?
The Ninjas are ready and waiting to help you with your Ad Grants questions and challenges – just hit the button to send out a distress flare.
If you’re finding your application is rejected we usually find the following checks will resolve things so that you can resubmit and start enjoying the benefits of the Ad Grant:
- Organisation details – make sure you have your organisation’s official name and registration number in your website footer along with your official physical address. Registration numbers vary by market so for example in the US it’s often a good idea to display your 501 (c) (3) status along with your tax ID number. For Australian causes displaying your ABN (Australian Business Number) is the best way to go. UK organisations can show off their charity registration number.
- What does your cause do – it’s amazing how many rejected applications we see from charities that talk around what they do on their website but don’t display a clear mission statement. Often it’s a case of the people working in the cause understanding things TOO intimately and neglecting to provide a basic overview of why they exist to others. If you’re hitting challenges with getting your application approved then it’s worth adding a link to your “mission” in your main navigation, it’ll assist the approval team get to the information they’re looking for.
- Contact details – provide an easy way for people to contact you via either a web form, phone number or other relevant methods. Usually, the more open you are with contact information the better. This will also help increase the credibility of your cause when viewed from the perspective of potential beneficiaries and supporters.
- Check website speed and availability – if your website is slow to load (remembering that slow can be a matter of seconds (Google’s own research showed that the chance of a bounce increased by 32% when a page load time went from one to three seconds, and by 90% when the page load time went from one to five seconds). If things are slow we’d recommend checking you’re not loading any massive images or other files when your website first loads (developer tools in browsers like Chrome and Firefox are a good place to start) and also checking the infrastructure you’re using – cheap servers might be overloaded and slower that a turtle in peanut butter.
Try the above, if your application is rejected, try to stay calm, throwing your computer out of the window will not help.
If all else fails please get in touch with us and we’ll do our best to help.
