It’s an email no Google Ads user ever wants to receive: the dreaded “your account has been suspended” alert message.
It’s understandable to, well, freak out a little bit if you have Google Ads account suspended, particularly if the reason for the suspension is a violation you weren’t aware you’d committed. Quite simply, your Google ad campaigns may play a major role in your business’ success. Your own finances may therefore be in jeopardy if your account is suspended.
Fortunately, except in some specific instances, suspension of a Google Ads account isn’t necessarily permanent. There are various ways you can restore your account if it’s been suspended. This guide will explain them, helping you better understand what you can do to get your Google Ads accounts back up and running fast.
Although the primary focus of this guide will be on the steps you can take to remedy the problem if you have a Google Ads account suspended, naturally, your main goal is likely to prevent your account from being suspended in the first place. To minimize the chances that your Google’s Ads accounts will ever be suspended for any reason, carefully review Google’s applicable ad policies and Terms & Conditions. Also, remember that Google routinely updates certain policies, and you may want to regularly check them for any changes that may have been recently made.
Reviewing the relevant policies can also potentially help you determine the root of the issue if your account has been suspended but you’re not entirely certain why. While the email Google sends informing you that your account has been suspended will typically cite the reason, sometimes, it’s still not precisely clear how Google justified suspending your account. The reasons Google’s email may provide when explaining why your account was suspended are based on generic error codes (typically produced by artificial intelligence and machine learning engines) that may not be specific enough for you to thoroughly understand the nature of the issue.
Be aware that it’s possible your account was suspended through no fault of your own. For instance, someone could have hacked your account or site. If after doing so, they engaged in any behavior that violates Google’s ad policies, you may be the one paying the price.
The potential reasons your Google Ads accounts may be suspended are numerous. The following are merely a few noteworthy examples:
Google’s ad policies are designed to protect users. Thus, if you’re running ads that direct users to sites infected with malware or other dangerous software, your account may be suspended to prevent users from clicking on your ads.
Take immediate action if you have reason to believe a hacker added malware or unwanted software to your site. The presence of harmful malware or software won’t merely result in your Google’s Ads account being suspended. It can also threaten your data, any existing content on your site, and more.
Even if you didn’t intend to, you could have accidentally engaged in behavior that qualifies as “counterfeiting” affording to google ads policies, triggering an account’s suspension. For example, if you’re using your Google’s Ads account to market products that are extremely similar to others, you may need to either modify your ads or the products themselves to indicate you’re not violating any trademarks. Sometimes when a user markets products that are virtually indistinguishable from others, Google interprets their products as being counterfeit, when they may not actually be.
Google’s own policies aren’t the only rules you need to keep in mind when running ads! It’s also important to familiarize yourself with the laws of the areas in which you plan to advertise.
Sometimes, the laws regarding what you can and can’t advertise may be surprising. For example, in the UK, it’s illegal to advertise paternity tests. This is an easy law to break if you’re unaware of it. While you may assume you’re not doing anything illegal with your Ads account, the possibility of breaking the law without meaning to is one you should consider. Protect yourself by taking the time to research these issues before planning and launching campaigns.
You’re not always being “punished” when Google suspends your Ads account! There are instances when an account may be suspended in order to protect you in the long run. Specifically, if Google detects an unauthorized user trying to access your account, it may be automatically suspended to prevent a hacker from causing any damage.
The reason your account was suspended will to some degree affect what you need to do about the issue. Google’s policies make a distinction between regular violations and “egregious violations.”
You don’t want your account suspended because a violation was deemed egregious. Generally, while it’s possible to recover an account that was suspended due to a normal violation, if you’re found guilty of an egregious violation, Google usually won’t let you recover your account. Your best bet in these circumstances is to contact Google and (truthfully, of course!) show that the violation you’ve been accused of was the work of a hacker. Even so, you can’t be entirely sure Google’s team will take your side.
In the case of typical violations, though, you can restore your account in the following ways. Keep in mind, this isn’t a problem with a “one-size-fits-all” solution. The proper way to restore an account will depend on the reason it was suspended in the first place.
Your options include:
If the email you receive from Google explaining why your Google Ads account was suspended indicates your site is home to dangerous malware or software, invest in an effective malware-removal tool and clean your site up. If your account remains suspended even after you’re confident you’ve gotten rid of any and all harmful malware or software, you might have to contact Google to explain that you’ve fixed the problem.
Again, even if you didn’t mean to violate Google’s advertising policies or any local advertising laws, you may have done so simply because you weren’t aware of a law or policy. Luckily, after you’ve reviewed Google’s justification for your account suspension, in many instances, restoring your account is as easy as changing your ads or behavior accordingly. For example, if your account was suspended because Google determined one or more of your ads were excessively inflammatory, you can remove or change those ads to better align with Google’s standards.
It can be easy to lose track of your spending from time to time when running marketing campaigns. Depending on the size of your business, you might not even be directly involved in monitoring your spending most of the time.
Google might have suspended your Google Ads account or multiple google ads accounts because you haven’t paid for certain ads or a particular related service yet. Pay what’s due, and Google should restore your account promptly.
That said, you may want to reach out to Google first if you receive an email claiming your account has been suspended and won’t be reactivated until you pay a fee if you confidently feel you’ve remained up-to-date on all payment method. At the very least, check to confirm your account actually is suspended before taking any action. A scammer could have sent you a phishing email pretending to represent Google in order to rip you off.
Google may occasionally flag your account if it suspects that your credit card is being used fraudulently. Additionally, they view it suspicious when the same billing information is used for numerous accounts.
If Google suspended your Google Ads account because an unauthorized user tried to access it, you can fill out and submit a form to secure your account.
Depending on which country you’re in, you have to be a certain age to have a Google Ads account. Google may suspend your account if it’s discovered you don’t meet the age requirement. However, it’s sometimes possible to get around these requirements by creating a Google account with Family Link. This allows parents to exercise more control over which Google services and products their children can and can’t access.
Mistakes can and do happen. This is as true on Google’s end as it is on yours. Perhaps your account was suspended over a misunderstanding or a misinterpretation. Not every supposed violation of Google’s policies is actually a genuine violation.
If you have a suspended account & think your account was suspended improperly, Google offers a form you can submit to appeal the suspension. However, if you do choose to appeal your account suspension, be extremely careful when filling out the firm, and double-check all information before submitting it. If the submitted form contains any false information, the assumption will typically be that you knowingly attempted to deceive Google. The result? Permanent suspension of your Google Ads account.
It’s also worth noting that sometimes a valid and reasonable appeal will be rejected. Submitting the form to appeal your account’s suspension doesn’t immediately guarantee your account will be restored. If your appeal is rejected, but you genuinely don’t think it should have been, you can contact the Google Ads Team directly. Explaining the circumstances with an actual member of the team instead of hoping the person who reviews your appeal sees your side of the story can give you the chance to more clearly explain the situation.
Once more, though, be completely honest in any discussions you may have! Being caught in even a seemingly minor lie can make Google’s team unwilling to consider any of your other points or arguments.
Along with familiarizing yourself with all the relevant policies and laws regarding how you can (and can’t!) use your Google Ads account, you can also avoid account suspension in such ways as:
This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you’ve been running ads via a Google Ads account for a decent period of time, you might get complacent, no longer making a point of carefully reviewing your ads before submitting them for publication.
Don’t fall into this habit. Whether you create your own ads, or employees create them for you, before submitting an ad for publication, always carefully review it with the specific intention of looking for any issues that would qualify as violations of Google’s policies. If you even suspect an ad might cause problems, either modify it before submitting it, or check Google’s policies again to confirm whether you have reason to be hesitant.
You’re not the only person who may feel Google’s advertising policies are sometimes unclear. On Quora, Reddit, and many other platforms, there are numerous communities of users who ask and answer questions about Google’s ad policies and similar topics. If you’re at all confused about an issue, head to one of these communities and ask others for insights.
However, not every single member of such communities will necessarily be an expert, even if they claim to know what they’re talking about. Use your judgment when determining whether you feel you can trust any given member to provide you with accurate information. Obviously, you can also contact Google to ask a question, although you may have to wait a little bit longer to get an answer than you would on a forum or community page.
Installing a security plugin to protect your site from malware is never a bad idea. Additionally, create the strongest password possible for both your site and your Google Ads account, and periodically change your passwords to avoid unauthorized access.
Of course, hopefully you’ll never have to use any of the information here because your Google Ads account will never be suspended. Just remember that if it ever is, unless you’ve committed a major violation, restoring your account likely won’t be too complicated.
That said, it’s also very wise to learn from this experience! If you have a suspended account of Google Ads, make sure you thoroughly understand why, so you can avoid these types of problems in the future.
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Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising isn’t an optional marketing accessory – it’s a serious tool for law firms that want measurable results fast. Whether your practice areas involve personal injury, criminal defense, family law, federal crimes, or estate planning, PPC gives you access to leads who need your services now. But throwing money at Google and Facebook without a plan will only drain your budget. If you’re tired of seeing competing law firms outrank you, this guide is for you.
Let’s explore the 10 key aspects of PPC campaigns that will bring you paying clients without wasting your ad spend.
PPC only works if you get the foundation right. That means finding keywords and phrases that your ideal clients type into search engines when they need help. If you choose the wrong keywords, you could end up wasting your ad spend fast. Law firm PPC is highly competitive and one of the most expensive PPC markets around. Small mistakes can cost a lot of money.
To get this done, use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Google Autocomplete, and Semrush to get a list of 30-50 keywords related to your location and practice area.
Remember that PPC keywords will differ from general keywords used to get traffic to your website. You’re paying for each click, so for PPC, you only want to target keywords that indicate the user is likely to become a paying client. High-intent keywords are the ideal target, like “DUI attorney” or “drug charge defense attorney.” These phrases indicate the user is facing charges and needs an attorney now.
Use long-tail keywords related to your practice areas. These are phrases like, “how to beat a DUI charge in [state],” “how much does a child support lawyer cost in [county]?,” and “what should I do after being arrested for [offense]?”
Long-tail keywords are less likely to be cannibalized by your other paid ads, AI-generated summaries, and featured snippets. They’re also more likely to send you hot leads who become clients.
When a user searches for the phrase “how to beat a DUI charge in California,” the algorithm will know the user’s zip code, and will serve them ads for local DUI law firms who have successfully optimized their ads for DUI-charge-related phrases.
Avoid generic keywords, like “lawyer in [city].” While there’s a possibility someone searching for a generic lawyer might need your services, there’s also a chance they’re looking for someone outside of your practice areas. It’s not worth wasting ad spend to find out.
Understand that optimizing your ads for certain searches doesn’t necessarily mean using those exact words in your copy. For example, to optimize for the search “DUI attorney near me,” you’d use the phrase “DUI attorney” and include locations by city name, county, or zip code. You don’t need to include the words “near me” because ad algorithms interpret those words as a command to return local results. Google is good at discerning intent from searches.
Your PPC ads should direct users to a specific landing page created just for that ad. Don’t send people to your home page because it will make conversions harder. Home pages are too generic and will break the user’s sense of continuity and flow.
Each landing page should be specifically relevant to the user’s search query. For example, if your ad talks about services related to divorce, clicking should send users to a web page that outlines your divorce-related services.
Most attorneys create one page for every practice area and send paid ad clicks to those pages. This strategy is good since it serves visitors regardless of their origin. However, in order to track PPC ad conversions, it helps to have landing pages that don’t show up in search results and only get shown via ads. All you need to do is make a copy of your practice area pages, give them friendly URLs, and use them for your ad destinations.
A good landing page will encourage the user to call your law firm right away. To accomplish this, you need the following elements:
Your landing pages serve one purpose: to get users to call your law firm. With that in mind, make sure your phone number is visible on every page above the fold, preferably in your header. To make it clickable use the following markup:
<a href="tel:1234567890">(123) 456-7890</a>
Use this markup for every instance of your phone number throughout your website so mobile users can click to call. This seemingly small convenience will get you more leads.
People need a reason to trust you, so include client testimonials, previous settlement wins, Google and Trustpilot reviews, and links to your Avvo or Martindale profile.
Your copy should aim to convert clicks into leads that either contact you via phone, a contact form, or chat bot. Don’t be wordy – mention your specialty, location, what makes you different, and instruct people to contact you now. For example, your drug charge landing page might state you have 20+ years of experience and that you offer free consultations. Copy doesn’t need to be long to be compelling. For law firms, shorter is better – people don’t have time to read an essay when they’re just trying to get help.
Your CTA should be visible above the fold and on every page throughout your website. It should be clear, short, and direct. For example, tell visitors to call you for a free case evaluation.
Paid ads only work when you’re willing to spend money. If your daily budget isn’t high enough, your ads won’t get served to many people. To increase your impression share and therefore increase ad visibility, you need a good ad Quality Score and a decent budget. Higher bids can push your ads into favorable positions, which can increase your click-through rate (CTR) and generate more conversions.
Legal keywords can cost more than $100 per click, so you need to invest in your ads. However, if you’re doing ads on your own, start with a conservative budget and ramp up once you identify the campaigns that are converting. If you’re working with a reputable PPC agency, you can go all-in from day one without worry.
Even though lawyers typically pay more per lead than other industries, PPC ads are still considered a low-cost, effective form of marketing. Compared to other options, paid ads are cost-effective and excellent for capturing relevant leads immediately. As long as your ads are running, you’ll get clicks to your website.
When you identify your high-performing ads, cut the fat and pause keywords or ads that are underperforming and reallocate that money to your winners. PPC ads need to be managed weekly to ensure optimal performance.
The time your ads run matters; not every hour in the day is equal. There’s no need to advertise 24/7 unless you’re going to answer calls at 3:00 a.m. People might call you, get your voicemail, hang up, and call someone else in the morning. Even if you have a contact form on your website, someone who is stressed out and facing serious criminal charges may not go back to your site to look for an alternate way to contact you. They’ll go to bed and search for someone else in the morning.
So, what are the best hours to run ads? Most law firms see the most conversions during business hours and early evenings, so that’s when your ads should run in local time. Schedule your ads to run during peak hours for mobile searches. This is easy with Google Ads. To avoid paying for junk clicks, turn off your campaigns on holidays, weekends, or hours you aren’t available unless you have someone ready to take calls.
Location targeting is how you’ll get better conversions. You only want people in your local service area to see your ads, but you need to tell the ad platforms where you want your ads to be served.
Target high-value zip codes based on income, need, and proximity. If you work on a contingency basis, you might want to target people regardless of income since you’ll get paid if and when you win their case. However, if you don’t work with contingency fees, you need to be specific about your targets.
It’s equally important to exclude irrelevant locations from your ads. If you notice you’re getting clicks from neighboring states or areas you don’t serve, set your negative geotargeting rules to block them.
To get more clicks from relevant leads, use location-specific copy in your ads. Mention your city or county in the ad headline to catch people’s attention.
Negative keywords are your secret weapon for reducing wasted ad spend on irrelevant clicks. Add negative keywords that would indicate a user is not searching for actual legal services. For example, standard words like “free,” “pro bono,” “advice,” “template,” “blog,” “forum,” or “DIY” are a good place to start. People searching for these words are unlikely to become paying clients.
Other negative keywords to include are phrases and words that:
· Indicate a person is just looking for information or resources, but they don’t need a lawyer
· Are related to legal areas outside of your practice areas
The back end of your PPC platform will track clicks, but you need to track leads. The easiest way to do this is by hiring a PPC agency to manage your entire campaign from top to bottom. However, if you’re running ads in-house, here are some tracking strategies:
· Use call tracking software. You need to know which ads are generating calls. Tools like CallRail and WhatConverts will show you exactly where your calls are coming from.
· Tie form submissions to campaigns. If you just collect general form data, you won’t know where people came from. Connect each form to the ad group or keyword so you can track clicks and conversions.
· Ignore vanity metrics. A high click-through rate doesn’t mean much if you’re not getting conversions. Focus on cost per lead and cost per signed case. If your CTR is exceptionally high compared to conversions, adjust your campaign until you get better results.
Remember that you can’t improve what you don’t track.
While some people will call right away, not everyone looking for legal help will convert immediately. People facing criminal charges are more likely to make immediate phone calls, but when the matter isn’t urgent, people tend to research their options for a bit. This is where remarketing comes into play.
Remarketing ads help you convert more leads by targeting individuals who have already interacted with your ad or website, keeping your law firm at the top of their mind. You can customize your ad based on the web pages they visited for an even more personalized experience. However, you should limit the frequency so your ad doesn’t follow them for weeks or months.
Google Ads Assets are one of the most under-utilized PPC features, but they’re packed with power that can help you generate more high-quality clicks that convert to leads. The most useful assets for law firms include:
· Lead form assets. If you want to advertise during non-business hours, lead form assets will allow users to fill out a form directly within the ad, skipping the landing page completely. This will allow you to gather leads after hours without disappointing users when you don’t answer the phone.
· Location assets. This will display your physical address, hours, phone number, and map with your ads, including on YouTube. You’ll need a Google Business profile to set this up.
· Call assets. This allows users to call you directly from an ad. It displays a click-to-call button for mobile users, and displays your phone number for desktop users. This only works on the Google Search Network.
If you want to enhance your Google Ads performance, Ads Assets are essential.
PPC isn’t something you want to wing, especially when each click can cost $100 or more. If you’re not getting leads, you need a better strategy. Managing legal PPC campaigns requires a lot of time, constant optimization, and a solid understanding of how to attract leads that will become clients. That’s where a PPC agency becomes your competitive advantage.
At PPC.co, we help law firms build high-performance PPC campaigns that convert clicks into paying clients. If you’re tired of wasting your money and want results you can see, contact us today for a free consultation. We won’t just bring you traffic – we’ll get you qualified leads who need your help now.
When this apartment complex client partnered with PPC.co, their goal was clear: generate more qualified leads through Google Ads. In just 60 days—from January to March 2025—we transformed their paid acquisition performance. Total conversions more than tripled, jumping from 10 to 32, while the overall conversion rate soared by over 300%. At the same time, we drove down the cost per conversion by 44%, delivering significantly more leads at a much lower cost.
By strategically combining Performance Max and high-intent Search campaigns, we not only increased lead volume but improved overall efficiency and ROI. This rapid and measurable improvement underscores the value of data-driven optimization and expert campaign management.
This case study is a testament to what can happen when a well-structured campaign meets expert strategy and continuous optimization. Whether you're launching a new property or looking to boost occupancy in a competitive market, PPC.co delivers real results—fast.
Ready to grow your leads and lower your cost per conversion?
Contact us today to schedule a free audit and discover how we can help you achieve similar results.
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