Google Ads MCC hacked? Here’s what to do immediately
Here’s a look at how an MCC hack unfolds, what attackers change once inside, and how teams can recover access and clean up the damage.
Topic: Phishing
Google publishes new Google Ads passkey help doc
Google has published new passkey guidance for Google Ads, helping advertisers strengthen security amid rising account hacks.
Google Ads MCC takeover attacks are rising – here’s how the phishing scams work
The phishing attacks have left agencies and advertisers scrambling as entire client accounts and budgets fall out of their control.
Microsoft Advertising suspensions: What triggers them and how to appeal
Are you facing a Microsoft Ads suspension? Verify, appeal, and follow up through official channels, or risk permanent bans.
Microsoft removed 1 billion ads for violations in 2024
Microsoft aggressively dealt with AI scams and policy abuse, removing a record number of ads and upgrading its enforcement tools.
Phishing scam targets Microsoft Ad accounts via Google Search
Cybercriminals are exploiting Google Search ads to create sophisticated phishing traps that steal Microsoft advertising account credentials.
Google Ads phishing scams target ad buyers
Phishing scams targeting Google Ads accounts are draining ad budgets, disrupting campaigns, and exposing advertisers to reputational risks.
75% of top brands fall victim to fraud in Google Search Ads
Google is being urged to do more in safeguarding brands' reputations and preventing online shoppers from becoming victims of fraud.
Google is planning to update its Misleading Representation policy
Advertisers found to be in violation of Google's policies face having their accounts suspended.
This day in search marketing history: February 7
Noogler spreads SEO myths, plus: Google posts rejected, Enhanced Campaign reactions, algorithm suggestions, Super Bowls and more
Beware of fake DMCA link requests by AI-generated lawyers
If you received a DMCA legal request demanding a link from a lawyer, well, that might be a scam.
Phishing scams in Google Ads led searchers to fake crypto wallets
Those who were duped lost over half a million dollars by cryptocurrency scammers.
Three strikes, you’re out: Google’s new ad policy violations pilot
Google Ads plans to expand the scope of the project after the initial pilot to include more policy types.
Microsoft Advertising blocks 1.6 billion ads while dealing with the pandemic, says annual ad quality review
Microsoft says it is committed to keeping the ads in Microsoft Bing fair and in compliance with its ad policies.
Hijacked Google My Business listings appear to be a growing problem
GMB listings phishing is on the increase. Google says it's aware of the problem but business owners must be vigilant.
Google removed 2.7 billion bad ads, nearly 1 million ad accounts in 2019
This year,the company says it has removed "tens of millions" of COVID-19 related ads.
Google Ads to end customer support via social Jan 1, 2020
Advertisers will be directed to the online form.
A favicon is worth a thousand keywords
SEOs predictably unhappy about shrinking distinction between paid and organic mobile search results — and, they’re not wrong.
New Google Search Console adds a security issues section
In anticipation of the old Google Search Console going away, Google has moved the security issues into the new version.
SearchCap: Bing Ads report, Search Console with Data Studio & Pinterest search bar
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google Data Studio now connects to Search ConsoleFeb 8, 2017 by Ginny Marvin Build more flexible reports and combine Search Console data with other data sources. Pinterest’s Lens app turns your […]
Bing rejected 130M ads in 2016, including 17M tech support scam ads
Advertisers attempting Phishing attacks and pushing counterfeit goods continued to try to evade detection.
New wave of referrer spam wrecking Google Analytics data
If you're seeing a lot of referral traffic in your Google Analytics data, you're not alone. Contributor Jonathan Hochman explains how referral spam happens, lays out methods to combat it and suggests potential solutions for Google's consideration.
Google Search Console improves Security Issues reports
The revised security reports in the Google Search Console promise to provide more specific explanations and insights into the issues.
Bing Bad Ads Report: 250 million ads rejected, 150K advertisers banned in 2015
Tech support scams remain at the top of the list of bad actors that search engines have to keep fighting.
Google Says They May Flag Broken Security Certificates In The Search Results
Google may flag sites that have broken security certificates in the search results. They may also boost the ranking benefit on login pages, to prevent phishing attempts.
Google Issues Its 2014 “Bad Ads” Report: Disabled More Than Half A Billion Ads
Over 43 million ads were disabled for using "Trick to Click" ploys.
Bing Ads Gets Extended Validation SSL Certificates & Two-Step Verification Process
Bing Ads announced today that it has tightened account security measures by adopting extended validation SSL certificates for its website, and added a two-step verification process for users accessing Bing Ads via a Microsoft account. According to the announcement, Bing Ads began implementing an extended validation certificate a few weeks ago: All communications with Bing […]
Lily Collins: 2013’s Most Dangerous Celebrity To Search For
Move over Emma Watson. Actress Lily Collins has taken the title as 2013’s most dangerous celebrity to search for online. McAfee, the security technology company, is out with its seventh annual most dangerous celebrities survey, which uses the company’s SiteAdvisor site ratings to measure what percentage of search results for popular celebrities lead to risky […]
How To Spot Crappy SEO Pitches You Can Ignore
Just like anyone, I get crappy SEO pitches. My advice to anyone who gets these out of the blue is to ignore them. A good firm isn’t clogging your inbox with supposedly awesome sounding offers. But as a guide to crap you can especially ignore, here’s the latest from my inbox. The Pitch Gloria C. […]
Google’s Spam Report Page Gets “Biggest Refresh” In Years
Google has completely redone the spam report form inside of Google Webmaster Tools, and in announcing it on Twitter tonight, Matt Cutts called it “the biggest refresh of our spam report form in, oh, say 10 years.” If you’re logged in to Webmaster Tools, the new spam report page is accessible at www.google.com/webmasters/tools/spamreport?pli=1. And calling […]
Google Delists All CO.CC Domains From Index
Search on Google for any domains that match [site:co.cc] and you will find no matches. That is right, Google has removed, deindexed, banned and penalized any site using a co.cc subdomain. Why? As I noted, Google’s Matt Cutts explained on Google + that Google reserves the right if they “see a very large fraction of […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 29, 2011
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Official: Google Analytics Gets Social Engagement Reporting Google Analytics has just announced a new set of reports (and functionality) that will enable websites to track social interaction with their content. This […]
Chinese Warn Google May Get Punished For Making Country Look Bad
China is being very defensive. Google’s recent exposure of more attempted Gmail hacking, targeting US government officials and Chinese human-rights activists, has made the Chinese government embarrassed and angry. Suspected state-sponsored Gmail hacking is what initially caused Google to discontinue cooperating with China’s internet censorship policies. Chinese: Google Is a “Political Tool” Last week’s hacking […]
The Bogus Google Give-Away
Here’s a new one on me. I just got an email telling me that I’ve won nearly $1 million from a “drawing” randomly selected from those searching on Google. Suffice to say, it’s a scam. I can assure you that Google’s done no drawing like this. Add the spam to those about missing fortunes in […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 29, 2009
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
Google AdWords Isn’t Perfect! Serves Up Phishing Sites & Malware
News flash folks, Google AdWords is not perfect and can be exploited. There are times when people can go into the AdWords system and trick Google into serving up ads for phishing sites and malware downloads. Yes, this happens and happens often enough. I am not trying to depend Google but they probably automatically approve […]
Beware: Google AdWords Phishing Attempts Continue
Google adwords fuel new URL attack from IDG News reports that the AdWords credit card phishing attempts continue to be a problem. Emails disguised as official Google AdWords emails are being sent to advertisers asking them to update their billing information. When advertisers go through the link and update their billing information, their credit card […]
Linking Prowess For In-House Teams
Linking is still de rigueur when optimizing for Google and all major engines. Linking strategies have run the gauntlet, from simple link exchange requests to buying links. For a good review of current best practices in linking tactics, I refer you to The Link Spiel by Debra Mastaler and “11 Experts on Link Development Speak […]
Message In A Bottle: Google Now Stores Messages For Unverified Webmaster Central Users
Google Webmaster Central has announced that they now will have webmaster communication messages waiting for webmasters even if they have not yet verified their site in Google Webmaster Tools. Let me step back a bit and explain why this is incredibly important. In July 2007, Google released Message Center within Webmaster Tools. This gave Google […]
Yahoo & Others Form Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse
Brand Owners on Web Offensive from Red Herring reports that Yahoo, Dell, Coca Cola, Hilton and others have joined together to fight cybersquatting. The companies formed a collation against cybersquatters named Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse. Cybersquatters purchase domain names that are similar to trademark names, such as yahooemail.com and hilt0n.com. Some use that traffic […]