What to do when your website is showing a wrong ad or is not showing an expected ad? (part 4)
After
checking and verifying your ad tags, it is time to ensure your accounts are not hacked and everything is secured from unauthorized activities.
Secure your accounts
If you see malicious ads on your site or not from one of your advertisers then it is important to promptly check if there is any security issue with your content management system or the ad server’s account. Hackers can access your accounts and make changes to serve their own malicious ads or viruses. Many CMS platforms like WordPress or Drupal are constantly updated to patch security holes. Make sure you're running the latest version and that any plugins you use are up-to-date as well. Change your account’s password and make sure to use a strong password that is not easily guessable. Review activity logs for any unauthorized IP or accesses. Enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security by requiring an additional verification step when logging in.
Check third-party ad vendors
Ad networks, ad exchanges and other
ad serving platforms introduce more layers of complexity. You might not know ahead of time who will be the advertisers or have specific control over the incoming ads. Malicious ads can sometimes originate from the ad network itself. Because of their reach, criminals might find ways to inject their own ads into the legitimate ad networks or ad exchanges, making them appear alongside genuine ads. Research the reputation of any ad network you use and make sure you understand and agree with their ad requirements and policies. A malicious ad can infect your viewers, ruin your reputation and make your other advertisers reconsider their association with you.
Consult technical support
If you have tried the above troubleshooting tips and still cannot find out why an ad is missing, it is time to get the experts involved. If you're using an ad network or
ad server, reach out to their technical support team for assistance. They are specifically trained to deal with technical issues and have experience with other similar cases. They also may have access to additional insights and more advanced tools to help identify and resolve the issue. To speed up the troubleshooting process, it is always better to provide them with as much details as possible about the problem you're encountering, including screenshots, URLs, and any specific error codes/messages.
Make it easy to provide ad feedback
It is not possible for you and other internal employees to detect or prevent all the possible scenarios when something goes wrong. Therefore, make it super easy for your audience to report issues with ads with an ad feedback or report button. The form should provide multiple categories like irrelevant ads, inappropriate ads and a text input box. Also, make sure to timely acknowledge, address and respond to those reports in order to show that you are committed to maintaining a positive user experience.
Monitor ad metrics
Regularly monitor the performance of your ads to identify any patterns or anomalies that might indicate incorrect ad delivery. This may involve tracking metrics such as impressions, clicks, and conversion rates. If impressions for an ad suddenly drop off more than usual then it might indicate that the ad is not displaying as it used to or as expected. On the other hand, if an ad gets an unexpected spike in traffic, it’s important to investigate that jump promptly.
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"Viruses and malware are an issue for anyone who uses a computer, but they can be particularly problematic for online publishers with ad serving on their websites. It is not uncommon for a malicious piece of code to be installed in an ad, wreaking havoc on your own system, as well as on those who click on that ad on your site. " More
- How to protect your site from malicious ads
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