Prohibited ads across Search and Social platforms

Part of managing successful ad campaigns involves knowing what types of ad content is disallowed and what’s restricted across the social and search ad landscapes. Most prohibited content (counterfeit goods, illegal products, and services, etc.) and restricted content (political ads, alcohol, etc.) follow similar standards from one platform to the next but each company has its own set of rules.

Across all social and search ad platforms, the standard rules apply for prohibited ads: no promoting counterfeit goods, tobacco, illegal products or services. No promotions that include trademark or copyright infringement or fraudulent and deceptive practices. Restricted ad content – ads you can run, but with certain limitations – are a bit more varied from platform to platform. Some platforms make their rules easy to follow or refrain from getting too much into the minutiae of things, while others are very specific. The following list gives marketers a general idea of each platform prohibited and restricted ad guidelines, while also calling out the more unique policies from site to site.

Facebook and Instagram

Facebook’s prohibited ad content across its family of apps includes the standards: no ads promoting illegal products or services, tobacco products or firearms and weapons. It also prohibits ads for surveillance equipment or any ad content that includes third-party infringement (no ads that violate copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or other personal or proprietary rights).  

But there are a few topics worth noting. For example, the company does not allow ads that lead to a non-functioning landing page, “This includes landing page content that interferes with a person’s ability to navigate away from the page.” You cannot advertise for payday loans, paycheck advancement services or bail bonds. And here’s one that makes anyone wonder if there was a specific instance that inspired the rule: Facebook does not allow the sale of body parts.

For restricted content, advertisers wanting to promote online dating services must receive permission from the platform before running ads, same with political and issue-related ads and cryptocurrency products and services. Promotions around gambling, state lotteries, OTC drugs and online pharmacies also come with restrictions.

Google and YouTube

Google keeps its prohibited and restricted ads general, outlining a high-level overview of what’s prohibited and what’s restricted. Prohibited ad content includes: Counterfeit goods, Dangerous products or services, Ads that enable dishonest behavior, Inappropriate content.

Google also separates out ad practices it prohibits abusing the ad network, misrepresentation and data collection, and use.

The company’s list of restricted ad content is more comprehensive, but still stays within the usual parameters without any odd items – like human body parts. Google’s restricted content ad policies include: Adult content, Alcohol, Copyrights, Gambling, and games, Healthcare and medicines, Political content, Financial services, Trademarks, Legal requirements (all ads must comply with the laws and regulations pertaining to the location where the ad is displayed). Google keeps its ad policies at a high-level for the most part, a tactic that gives the company more control to decide on a case-by-case basis what’s allowed and what’s not.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a Microsoft-owned platform, but it's prohibited and restricted ad policies are separate from the rules outlined for Microsoft and Bing. In addition to the usual disallowed content, LinkedIn’s list of prohibited ads has some interesting entries. For example, the site does not allow ads for downloadable ringtones and occult pursuits (“Ads for fortune-telling, dream interpretations, and individual horoscopes are prohibited, except when the emphasis is on amusement rather than serious interpretation”).

Also, instead of having restrictive measures around political ads, LinkedIn prohibits any political ad content, the same as its parent company: no ads advocating for or against a political candidate or promoting ballot propositions. LinkedIn’s restricted ad content includes the following: Alcohol, Animal products, Dating services, Soliciting funds, Medical devices, Short-term loans, and financial services.

One side note about LinkedIn’s ad policies, the company specifically states that it prohibits ads that are offensive to good taste. “This means ads must not be, for example, hateful, vulgar, sexually suggestive or violent. In special circumstances, LinkedIn may determine that an ad that was acceptable is no longer appropriate as we update our policies to reflect new laws or clarify our position.”

Microsoft (Bing)

Microsoft’s disallows and restricted ad policies, which includes rules for Bing search ads can be confusing to follow. The company has published a one-page list of “Restricted and disallowed content policies,” but within that page are links to more detailed pages for “Disallowed content policies” and “Disallowed and restricted products and services policies”.

Microsoft disallows any election-related content, political parties, candidates and ballot measures. Ads promoting fundraising efforts for political candidates, parties, PACs and ballot measures are also prohibited. As with other platforms, Microsoft doesn’t allow weapons to be advertised on its platforms. This includes firearms and ammunition, but also knives: “Knives that are positioned as weapons or whose primary use is violence, including switchblade knives, disguised knives, buckle knives, lipstick case knives, air gauge knives, knuckle knives and writing pen knives.” In Brazil, India, and Vietnam, Microsoft does not allow advertising that promotes infant feeding products such as baby formula, feeding bottles, rubber nipples or baby food of any kind.

Pinterest

Pinterest’s prohibited ad content guidelines follow the standard themes. No ads for Drugs and paraphernalia, Endangered species and live animals, Illegal products and services, Counterfeit goods, Sensitive content, Tobacco, Unacceptable business practices, Weapons, and explosives.

Pinterest defines “Sensitive content” as anything it deems divisive or disturbing. For example, language or imagery that is offensive or profane, excessively violent or gory, vulgar or sickening or politically, culturally or racially divisive or insensitive. It also does not allow content that capitalizes on controversial or tragic events – or references to sensitive health and medical conditions.

Pinterest does not allow any “Adult and nudity content” in ads on its platform. Also, ads containing clickbait are disallowed. Like LinkedIn, it prohibits political campaign ads. The company keeps its list of restricted ad content simple with a detailed outline of what it will and won’t allow around its restricted content. For example, ads that include contests, sweepstakes, and Pinterest incentives are restricted. Advertisers are asked not to require users to save a specific image or suggest that Pinterest in any way sponsors or endorses the promotion. It does state specifically that advertisers are not allowed to promote anything that, “Directs people to click on Pinterest buttons to get money, prizes or deals.”

Pinterest’s other restricted ad content includes: Alcohol, Financial products and services (ads promoting cryptocurrencies and payday loans are prohibited), Gambling products and services (no ads for lotteries, gambling gaming apps or gambling websites), Healthcare products and services. In terms of its healthcare-related ads, Pinterest does allow ads promoting products like eyeglasses or content lenses, Class I and II medical devices and OTC, non-prescription medicines. It does not allow ads for weight loss or appetite suppressant pills and supplements or promotions that claim unrealistic cosmetic results.

Reddit

Reddit’s list of prohibited and restricted list of ads follows suit with the other social platforms. Disallowed ads include promotions for counterfeit goods, hazardous products or services, illegal or fraudulent products or services and more of the same standard policies. It states specifically that advertisers are prohibited from using inappropriate targeting: “All targeting must be relevant, appropriate, and in compliance with relevant legal obligations of the advertiser.”

Reddit does not allow advertisements for addiction treatment centers and services, it does not accept advertising pertaining to political issues, elections or candidates outside of the U.S. It has a very specific list of financial services and products that are disallowed, including bail bonds, payday loans, debt assistance programs, cryptocurrency wallets, credit and debit cards, and “get rich quick schemes.”

Any advertiser wanting to promote gambling-related services must have their ads manually approved and certified by Reddit: “In order to be approved, the advertiser must be actively working with a Reddit Sales Representative.” This does not include ads for gaming promotions where nothing of value is exchanged, gambling-related merchandise or hotel-casinos where the ad is focused on the hotel. And while Reddit does allow ads for dating sites, apps and services, it prohibits any centered-on infidelity, fetish communities or any that discriminate by excluding persons of specific races, sexuality, religions, or political affiliations.

Snapchat

Snapchat’s prohibited ads include the usual suspects, but there are also entries that appear to be designed because of its younger audience. For example, the platform states specifically that it does not allow ads that, “Encourage Snapping and driving or other dangerous behaviors.” Also, it disallows ads intended to “shock the user” and no ads for app installs from sources other than the official app store for the user’s device. Other prohibited ads include any promotions that involve: Infringing content, Deceptive content, Hateful or discriminatory content, Inappropriate content.

Snapchat’s restricted ads for alcohol include a list of 18 countries where alcohol ads cannot be placed. Alcohol ad campaigns that run in allowed countries must not appeal particularly to minors or encourage excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. They must also refrain from glamorizing alcohol, “Or otherwise misrepresent the effects of consuming alcohol.” Snapchat requires alcohol advertisers to include warning labels such as “Please drink responsibly” within their ad copy.

Also, alcohol promotions must be targeted to users who meet the legal drinking age requirement within the country where the ads run. The same goes for gambling and lottery related ads – they must be targeted to users who meet the legal age requirement to gamble. Same as Reddit, Snapchat allows ads for dating services, but they must be targeted to users age 18 and over, and cannot include provocative, overtly sexual content or reference prostitution. Also, Snapchat does not allow ads that promote infidelity.

Many of Snapchat’s restrictive ad policies are by country. For example, it only permits targeting lottery-related ads to 14 countries, including Brazil, Iraq, Italy, Poland, and Russia – but not the U.S. Snapchat does not permit targeting ads for online dating services to Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Advertisers cannot target ads for OTC medicines in Columbia, Iraq, Lebanon, Romania, Spain, and Turkey. It also does not permit targeting ads for condoms in Bahrain, Ireland, Kuwait, Lebanon, Monaco, Oman, Poland, and Qatar.

Twitter

Twitter’s list of prohibited and restricted ads are arguably the easiest to follow. There are no out of the ordinary ads disallowed on the platform, and its restrictive policies are the same standard rules applied across the social ad landscape. The one area where Twitter distinguishes its policies from other platforms is by stating specifically that it prohibits ads promoting malware products and has restrictions around promotions for software downloads.

It’s worth noting that the ad content policies listed here for each of the platforms are as they stand now, but social platforms have a history of regularly changing their ad content policies. This has happened most notably during the past year and a half with political advertisements. Facebook has gone back and forth with its rules around cryptocurrency ads, totally banning the ads in January 2018 and then reversing its policies six months later. It wasn’t until last year Facebook began implementing ad targeting restrictions for weapon accessory ads to users 18 years and older.

What ‘Calibra’ mean for Marketers?

Facebook announced it is launching a financial subsidiary in 2020 called Calibra that will include a digital wallet offered as a standalone app and built into WhatsApp and Messenger. The digital wallet will enable global users to make financial transactions using Libra, the newly formed currency powered by Blockchain technology backed by Facebook and a number of leading financial, technology and venture capital organizations, including Mastercard, Uber, PayPal and Andreessen Horowitz. Libra will be governed by the Libra Association, formed to promote adoption of the currency and developer platform.

Facebook is still in the early stages of this effort. Addressing privacy concerns, the company has said it will not share user account information or financial data with a third party without a user’s consent. Facebook also said Calibra’s user data would not be used for ad targeting on Facebook’s platforms. That doesn’t mean there won’t be implications for an advertiser. Even without using Calibra’s data for ad targeting purposes, Facebook expects its move into the cryptocurrency market will have a positive impact on ad revenue.

Marketers are paying attention to the cross-border payment capabilities Facebook’s Calibra will offer. It’s a way for Facebook to bring e-commerce into developing countries, where they don’t have stable currencies or means to pay. Whether or not Facebook will be able to drive global e-commerce within its apps via Calibra depends entirely on the success of the Libra cryptocurrency it is helping to develop.

Data privacy issues, customer trust issues, regulatory uncertainty, the absence of China and many other strict Cryptocurrencies regulated countries, other competing but more mature ‘good enough’ technologies are all great barriers that Facebook needs to overcome. Creating a way for worldwide users to engage with brands — and purchase from them regardless of their geographic location — could dramatically impact Facebook’s business model and further cement its dominance as a social platform. But, it’s not going to be smooth sailing for Facebook in the coming months.

Much is riding on the success of the Libra cryptocurrency for Facebook. But, should it succeeds, marketers are ready for the added e-commerce and customer experience possibilities it could provide. It’s a way Facebook can keep users inside of its platforms — Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp — longer, while, at the same time, increasing conversion rates for e-commerce advertisers because of the expectation will be that consumers will be checking out using the Libra coins, and it will be all one seamless experience.

Why Businesses can’t run without Google and Facebook

Google controls many of the ways businesses access customers online making it almost impossible to run a company without buying advertising from the internet giant. As politicians increase scrutiny of large technologies companies, Google’s lock on these digital relationships is becoming a potential liability. While consumers pay nothing for most Google services, some businesses say they often can’t avoid giving more money to the company because the internet giant is the main source of answers when go online to get information.

While Facebook matches advertisers with people interested in certain topics, Google can tell what a person really wants, right as that person types their query into the search bar. Showing up at the top of search results is imperative for most companies and in recent years Google has changed its software, especially on smartphones, to make buying ads the best way to achieve that goal. It’s not possible to run a business without advertising on Google.

Nowhere is Google’s power more pervasive and potentially damaging to businesses than in the esoteric market for ‘branded keywords’. This is where businesses buy ads based on their brand names. Some businesses say that they have to buy these ads whatever the cost because rivals can bid on the keywords too. In recent years, this pressure has increased because on mobile devices Google search ads show up at the top of the results, rather than on the side of the page with desktop results. This means people are more likely to click on the ads, rather than the free, ‘organic’ links to companies’ websites.

Google has said in the past that it doesn’t break antitrust laws and that competition online is just a click away. Google also regularly stresses that it never accepts payment to be included in or to be ranked higher in organic search results and doesn’t manipulate search rankings to benefit advertisers. Beyond just branded keywords, the cost of all types of Google search ads has been rising at about 5% a year, according to Merkle, that’s well ahead of US inflation, which is running at 1.6% currently.

Many Google advertisers are happy to pay more because the company has so much data that it can target the marketing messages and generate big returns on that spending. When it comes to brand keywords, some advertisers will spend beyond what makes sense. These decisions are not as rational. That’s a question that comes up when advertisers see costs go up. People are thinking about that and testing it by stopping buying those branded keywords to see what happens. These tests usually result in a decline in traffic, both from search ads and from free, on organic results.  How big depends on the advertiser.

Lessons from Cambridge Analytica Incident

If FB users can learn one important lesson from the Cambridge Analytica Incident, where the data of nearly 50 Million Facebook users was allegedly used to manipulate the USA Elections, it is this, there’s no such thing as a free lunch when it comes to sharing personal data like images, posts and preferences on social networking sites.

Though these sites and apps are purportedly free because they do not charge users, it is a no brainer that they get their Return on Investment (ROI) from the mountains of personal data that can be mined with the help of algorithms to enhance user experience and sell relevant advertisements.

Gullible users willingly share their personal data with these sites without understanding the consequences. However, even knowledgeable users face a conundrum when signing up for such sites and apps. For instance, whenever a user downloads an app, it tells you all it is capable of. You have to click on the agree button if you want to avail of the services.

The Facebook app, among other things, tells you that it can directly call numbers, read phone status and identity, read your text messages, take pictures and videos, record audio, record your approximate location, precise location, modify your contacts, real call logs, read your contacts, add or modify calendar events and send emails to guests without owners knowledge, read calendar events plus confidential information, read, modify or even delete the contents of your memory card and add or remove accounts.

Smartphone and mobile apps can make one a smart and efficient employee with all the information they collect as a trade-off, similar to how websites and e-commerce sites provide better services with the help of cookies, small pieces of code that track your online behavior and predict your next move with great accuracy.

Besides, ad networks may gather the information apps collect, including your location data, and may combine it with the kind of information you provide when you register for a service or buy something online to send you targeted ads that may be relevant to someone with your preferences and in your location.

Privacy by design effectively means that privacy principles such as preventing harm, transparency, choice, etc., are built into the architecture of the product itself. Thus, businesses need to include privacy and its related principles at the time of building of the product itself and not as an afterthought. Further, given that privacy by design presumes that the user is central to the entire system, meaningful consent and the real ability to withdraw this consent is another fundamental premise.

In many cases such as Aadhaar where the case in sub judice, quasi-government bodies will consistently pressure you to sign up, failing which you will have to run to the courts to queue up for justice. So you may end up signing up for these services, either because you feel helpless to fight the state or just do not have enough time to fight the system. India desperately needs a separate Privacy Act. The Right to Privacy, as enshrined in the Constitution, does not suffice when it comes to information security.

India also lacks a comprehensive policy on data protection or online security – the Indian Information Technology Act (2008) or amended rules in 2011 are not adequate. The Electronic Frontier Foundation advocates that “tech companies can and should do more to protect users, including giving users far more control over what data is collected and how that data is used.

Globally, the European Union (EU) is the most stringent when it comes to data protection. After four years of preparation and debate, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was finally approved by the EU Parliament on 14 April 2016. The enforcement date is 25 May 2018, and companies that do not comply with this law may face heavy fines. GDPR replaces the Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC) and “was designed to harmonize data privacy laws across Europe, to protect and empower all EU citizens’ data privacy and to reshape the way organizations across the region approach data privacy”, according to GDPR Portal.

The positive fallout of the Facebook data compromise is that the Indian government, too, is firming up its long-term strategy to secure data of citizens, especially those using social media. As Algorithms increasingly enhance user experience and the bottom line of firms, users must not let their guard down since these very algorithms can enable unparalleled invasions of privacy.

India's Internet Language Tree

Large Digital Platforms such as Google, Microsoft, YouTube and Facebook have stepped up their efforts to engage the non-English speaking Internet user by speaking in multiple tongues for a few years now. However entertainment is still the driving force behind much of the user engagement. Now many are looking at ways to lock in the next wave of Internet users with language support for critical services, thereby increasing user stickiness and brand engagement on their platforms.

Nearly 500 Million Internet non-users are likely to go digital if Internet is provided in a language of their choice. In the next four years, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil and Telugu speaking Internet users will form 30 per cent of the total Indian language Internet user base, according to a Google-KPMG report on Indian languages (2017).

Internet platforms are turning polyglots not just because they see the rising importance of tapping into a user base that exists far beyond the top tier cities, but also brands are looking to ride their services to expand the customer base or improve employee efficiencies. Cab aggregator Ola has implemented language localization across the board to an extent that around 80 percent of the drivers use the language in the vernacular format. Google recently rolled out support for a number of languages on their proprietary keyboard or G-board.

Social Media has played a key role in driving the language train. Facebook has been actively prompting users to post content in their local language for years now. YouTube is collaborating with content creators across major cities like Hyderabad and Mumbai through fan events and creative spaces in order to encourage regional content.

There are 300 regional language channels on YouTube in India with over a million subscribers mark. Almost 70% music and video streamed online, 50% of messaging service usage and 50% news consumption across the country is done in regional languages. Globally, China managed to achieve the highest number of Internet users by using Mandarin script content, so much so that Chinese is the second most popular language on the Internet after English. In contrast, Indic content accounts for barely 0.1 % of the worldwide Internet content.

The potential for brands across the spectrum, not just advertisers and entertainers is huge. At present, barely 15% ticket booking, 17% online job searching and 21% banking services consumed online is done in regional languages. This reflects the restrictions of access of such critical Internet service in Indic, which in turn is limited Internet penetration in rural India and amongst the economically weaker section. Out of 481 Million Internet users in India almost 335 Million consume online content in Indic languages.

Bengaluru based technology startup Reverie Language Technologies, which provides Language as a Service (LaaS) solutions notes that a user’s online journey starts with content consumption, followed by engagement, which is followed by transactions or conversions. When the number of transaction-users grows, businesses will start looking into providing them with relevant localized solutions to solve their pain points. With 200 Million rural users coming online this year, companies will have to take efforts to help these users navigate through the digital world.

Economics of Privacy in Digital World

Information capture sits at the heart of important parts of the digital economy. The transaction in online services is radically different from what we usually encounter. We voluntarily pay in personal data rather than cash. This unique contract creates several complications as far as privacy goes.

Our relationship with companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon is at once and sour. These services are made irresistible because of their personalized user experience. The algorithms sitting at the heart of these companies guide you to what is most likely to interest you. But the world is now waking up to the harsh fact that the same process also raises privacy concerns as it encroaches into hitherto intimate areas of our lives.

Digital exchange – personal information for free access to platforms often means that privacy comes at a cost. Customers are better off sharing information about themselves with marketers because it makes life easier. Junk email or unsolicited phone calls that are an annoyance to consumers become less so when the company can target consumers better through data analysis.

However, the potential for personal data to be abused – for discrimination, manipulation and censorship is a huge cause for concern. The new world of large server farms plus algorithms that sift through data to seek patterns can sometimes make us the victims of targeted manipulation. So why do people have to share their data with the digital behemoths? The simple answer is that they choose to do so. In some cases, the consent to collect information is presumed, and the degree of privacy the user experiences is a function of self-help; you can disable some surveillance if you can figure out how. In other cases, customers explicitly agree to privacy policies that basically define the control they don’t have.

Since Businesses value the data more, imposing onerous “opt-in” rules is a significant transaction cost. This could jeopardize the ability of digital companies to provide services, and significantly degrade user experience. The efficient solution would be to award the initial ownership of data to the business, but let users opt out if they want to.

If you sell your car, the owner of the car can’t legitimately influence your life after the conclusion of the transaction. Personal data can be used to manipulate people in ways they don’t recognize at the time of sharing their data. This is something that current systems designed to facilitate the one-time transfer of personal information to the digital company and without the individual’s subsequent information to the digital company and involvement in decision making about the use of the collected data, don’t take into account.

Traditionally, private property has been the main barrier to privacy invasion. As monitoring and recording capabilities are embedded in our surroundings, there is a need to redefine private spaces that will not be infringed. The government and businesses should start by adopting privacy-by-design principles in their data accumulation practices. Governments and Supreme courts all over the world will have to rethink their stand in order to secure citizens privacy and control over their data and the meaning of such words as “property” and “consent” in relation to personal data sharing.

Ways to stay ahead in Digital Advertising

In the last three decades, the evolution of the advertising industry has accelerated almost unimaginably. The gradual movement from Print to Audio, and then to Television, has been replaced by the leaps and bounds of the digital age. If we are going to continue to meet the industry’s needs, it’s vital that we adapt quickly to keep up. No matter how much support executives offer, though, a big part of learning is self-directed. Here are some tips:-

Be Curious – Research shows that not only are we better at learning things we are interested in, but we’re also actually more receptive to new information, regardless of subject, when we’re working on something that inspires our curiosity. With practice, we can cultivate curiosity as a habit.

Emulate – When we see something that works, whether it’s a stunning ad campaign or an innovative workflow, replication alone will yield few results. When we come across a successful campaign it behooves us to ask what problem was solved or what challenge was overcome. By bringing this curiosity to bear effective solutions, we can better understand which pieces are relevant to our work.

Learn from Mistakes – Our brains are wired to learn from the decisions of others, and the kick we get when they stumble may be an evolutionary incentive to take note of where they fell short. Understanding why a seemingly airtight presentation missed its mark can help us avoid making similar mistakes in the future and can point us to areas with high growth potential.

Stay Informed – Keeping up on developments in the industry is critical to our own growth.

Be Attentive – While the toolkits and strategies our competitors use to forge ahead are often secret, their impact on the product is visible to anyone who takes the time to look.

Experiment – It’s important to continuously experiment with new workflows and techniques. There is no need to throw out the rulebook, but adding your own flourish to a tied and true tool or including a new approach in an otherwise conventional project, can be a great learning opportunity.

Plan Learning Time – By blocking out time in our busy schedules and setting concrete benchmarks, we can make learning a more engaged and rewarding experience.

Be Proactive – If there is a question you have, asking for a training module, or even just a clarifying comment, could benefit not just you, but the whole team.

Find a Mentor – Mentors can help situate developments in a broader view of the industry, not only helping us triangulate where we are but also building a more nuanced picture of what is to come.

Know yourself – We can only become truly effective learners by focusing the same critical eye on our own work that we do on the work of others.

Using these insights to set goals for ourselves and to inform an evolving strategy of success is the only way to effectively apply the learning techniques we integrate into our lives.

Impact of Blockchain on Search Marketing

If you’ve heard of Bitcoin then you most likely have heard of Blockchain, the technology that enables Bitcoin and other crypto currencies to exist and function. The technology is forecast to disrupt many industries as it allows users to conduct transactions without a middleman in a secure and transparent format.

Some of the industries that can potentially be disrupted are car sales, voting, ridesharing, real estate, insurance, sports management and loyalty cards. If Bitcoin is adopted by large companies such as Amazon or Walmart, it will certainly have an impact on the future of payments between search marketing agencies, website owners, advertisers and others. Contract agreements will also be impacted, as the Blockchain could be leveraged for more transparency and accuracy.

Blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value. It’s like a Google Doc spreadsheet that is shared with the public which displays transactions and is tamperproof. Many are considering Blockchain to be as impactful as the Internet was in the 90s.

In the digital marketing world, many central authorities, such as Google and Facebook, connect advertisers with website owners. For Example, Google is a central authority in programmatic ads, where it helps advertisers run ads on websites via the Google Display Network. Google essentially is the middleman that helps advertisers and website owners trust each other. If they already trusted each other, they would not need Google as an intermediary taking a cut of the profits.

Enter Blockchain, which can verify that every user is genuine with 100 percent accuracy and that the website owner is only charging the advertiser for genuine clicks through to their site. Then the website owner and the advertiser don’t need a middleman to arbitrate their agreement, which would save them money. Blockchain presents a big threat to Google’s Display Network revenue.

Blockchain being the unhackable distributed ledger is going to also help reduce online fraud. It will provide transparency for persons involved in a transaction without giving away their personal details, essentially proving they are a real person. Ad fraud is a big problem. It cost advertisers over $7 Billion in 2016. A number of players including Microsoft, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and DMA are already working on Blockchain based digital identification system.

As companies start to adopt Blockchain, they will need to integrate it with their websites. This involves the web developers as well as the SEOs, if they are trying to gain organic search benefits as well as display the information from the Blockchain transactions. This will present both technical issues and opportunities in which SEOs will have to work alongside developers to resolve compatibility issues with different content management systems and website platforms. As new Blockchains are developed and it is more widely adopted, it will certainly disrupt the search marketing industry in many other ways. For now, search marketers should pay close attention to Blockchain as it grows.