If you write an ad that contains the same display URL as another ad that is already running on Google AdWords you’ll incur the “double serving rule”. This means your ad won’t get displayed until this is corrected.

Here’s what Google says about it:

“Google doesn’t permit multiple ads from the same or an affiliated company or person to appear on the same results page.”

Are there exceptions to this policy?

Exceptions are granted only in very limited cases. When reviewing requests, we focus on the preservation of a unique user experience for each site, and also take into account the following:

* The destination site for each ad offers different products or services (for example, a large manufacturer with two product sites, one solely for stereos and one solely for computers, both running on the keyword ‘electronics’)

* The destination site for each ad serves a different purpose (for example, one site focuses on product information only, and the other site focuses on product sale only)

* Any product overlaps for each ad’s destination site are not significant enough to affect user experience

* The pricing difference offered by each site is significant and based on the same criteria (for example, if one site includes pricing with tax, the other site must include pricing with tax)

7 ways to avoid Google AdWords double serving rule

1. Register an alternative domain

If you create an ad for a highly competitive affiliate product you’ll have a difficult time avoiding the double serving rule because you’re advertising the same product. Create your own landing page with your own URL and you’ll easily be able to position yourself above competing ads.

2. Get a free domain

If you don’t want to purchase a new domain for a landing page, use Google Sites or one of the free site creators ie blogspot.com, wordpress.com. It’s a great way to test a landing page before registering a domain name an building your own web site.

3. Become the highest bidder

If you bid higher than the highest bidder you knock them of their perch and you become number one. Keep in mind your cost per click (CPC) will be substantially higher than your competitors and you’ll need to monitor your ad to prevent others from outbidding you.

4. Redirect your URL and mask it

If you use Godaddy as your domain registration service they allow you to create a 301 redirect and mask your URL. The redirect allows you to use a different display URL which redirects to your affiliate URL. Masking allows you to add meta tags to this domain that includes your main keywords without having to create an actual web site.

Here’s how to redirect and mask a domain using Godaddy

• Go to the domain manager and click on the forward tab.
• Copy and paste your affiliate link then click on 301.
• Go to the masking tab, click on masking enable and write a masking title.
• Wait 5 minutes for Godaddy to set everything up.
• Go to AdWords and fill in both the destination and display url…the same domain that you forwarded with Godaddy.

Now you don’t have to get into a bidding war with competitors and you can still do direct linking.

If you want to manually create a 301 direct read this article:

“How to Redirect a Web Page Using a 301 Redirect”

ShortURL
ShortURL is a free URL forwarding service allowing anyone to take any existing URL and shorten it.

If you don’t want to pay $10.00 to register a domain name at Godaddy get a shorturl at http://www.shorturl.com/. It also enables you to forward and mask your domains.

5. Affiliate Prophet Software

This software allows you to track your keywords to the sale and also captures the landing page to use on your own domain without incurring any penalties from Google.

You avoid the double serving rule because the merchant’s sales page will appear exactly as it is but the URL is on your domain.

6. Select a similar product

If you don’t want to do any of the above, choose a similar product which no one is advertising on Google AdWords. You avoid the double serving rule and don’t have to compete for the same product.

7. Create an iFrame

An iFrame frames the web page from another web site into your own web page. This means your visitor is actually viewing the content from another web site on your own web site.

Read this article on:
“How to Create an iFrame”

Note:
Sometimes Google won’t allow iframes to be used. If so, use one of the 6 methods mentioned above.

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