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Google Ad Grant Policies

How to Apply

Ad Grant accounts now need to maintain an overall CTR (clickthrough rate) of over 5%. If an account falls below 5% for two consecutive months, the account will be suspended.

Top Tips

Maintaining a CTR of over 5%:

  • Remove pure broad match keywords from the account

  • Use a mix of broad match modified keywords (+like +this), phrase match ("like this") and exact match ([like this])
  • Add negative match keywords to ensure irrelevant searches don't result in your ads being clicked
  • Set up automated rules to remove keywords with high impressions but low CTRs. For example, we set up rules that pause a keyword if it has had over 100 impressions but has a CTR of less than 2%
  • Keep keyword groups tightly themed into ad groups
  • Don't have more than around 20 keywords in an ad group

Keywords within an Ad Grant account must not have a quality score of 2 or less.

  • Set up an automated rule to pause keywords if their quality score falls to 2 or less
  • Set yourself up with email notification, as these keywords do need to then be removed from the account

Do not use single-word keywords, unless they are directly related to your organisation

  • You are now allowed to use acronyms, but again they do need to be highly relevant

  • Be careful not to be too general with your keywords. Google will flag them if they find them and your account will be suspended!

Ad Grant accounts must ensure they are targeting countries relevant to the organisation's mission - show ads in locations where users will find your nonprofit's information and services useful

Each campaign must have at least two active ad groups

Keep keywords in tightly-themed groups. You can promote the same page in different ad groups - just make sure your ad content includes your keywords, so that they are always relevant to what your users have searched for.

The account must have two active sitelinks

We recommend associating sitelinks at Ad Group level and ensuring there are four sitelinks associated with each Ad Group.

Creating relevant sitelinks that relate to the content that they are associated with provides users with extra clickable links that provide extra information alongside the main ad.

Ensure the account has conversion tracking set up correctly

Link your Google AdGrant account to your Google Analytics accounts and import your important goals - start measuring success.

Only promote domains that you have permission to use

Google Ad Grants are only allowed to promote the domain that is authorised when you sign up for the Grant. Any additional domains that you have need to have additional permission from Google.

For more information on how to effectively manage a Google Ad Grant, read our blog.