Web Marketing all-in-one for Dummies®

Chapter 6. Legally Speaking: PPC and the Law

in this chapter

• Sticking to editorial guidelines for ads and keywords

• Following trademark and copyright regulations

• Fighting click fraud

One of the most common pitfalls of pay per click (PPC) management to which new users fall victim is getting ads returned from search engines because of editorial guidelines. Sometimes, the problem is simply a matter of trying to use a shortcut such as an ampersand (&) instead of and or 2 instead of to. But in some cases, the problem is more serious, such as a copyright or trademark infringement.

In this chapter, I walk through the most common editorial issues you're likely to run into and show you how to avoid copyright or trademark errors. At the end of the chapter, I discuss click fraud.

Understanding Editorial Guidelines

Editorial guidelines are always set forth by the search engine or the distributor of PPC ads, so many variations exist. The major search engines have similar rules and regulations that are fairly easy to follow, but if you run into issues or have questions, consult the help center for that particular engine.

Ad editorial guidelines

Most search engines are similar in their requirements for the format, language, and grammar of an ad. If you're using PPC honestly and writing ads that advertise what you're selling, you shouldn't have a problem.

Here are the most common rules to follow:

• Watch your language. Don't use sexually explicit or offensive language, such as swearing.

• Don't make false claims ...