April 28, 2020
Google has announced in a blog post that it will be rolling out its identity verification policy to all advertisers.
This process was first featured in 2018, specifically for political advertisers. The policy meant these advertisers were required to verify their identity, which was then displayed as part of the ad unit on the search engine results page (SERP).
Starting in the United States, advertisers will have to submit business incorporation documents, personal identification and other documents to prove who they are and the country they operate in. This summer, you may start seeing disclosures that list the above information about the advertiser in the ads they see.
This change will benefit to both users and advertisers. This will allow those searching for products/services to see the advertiser behind the ads and make informed decisions. These measures will also help the overall health of the digital advertising ecosystem, by ensuring those taking up ad space are legitimate advertisers.
Although not currently being implemented in the UK, you can still prepare for these changes now. Get in touch with our paid Google advertising specialists, who can help you with your advertiser identity verification.