Google apologizes to advertisers for major glitch in Shopping ads

Late last month, the Google Ads system experienced a major outage that affected the display of products in Shopping.

• This bug resulted in advertisers’ products being displayed on other merchants’ ad accounts, potentially exposing competitors to confidential business information.
• This incident disappointed many advertisers not only because of the technical failure but also because of insufficient communication from Google after the incident.

Google Messages. Google contacted advertisers today about the issue and what they were doing about it. Hana Kobzová shared the email she received:

Several advertisers are unhappy with Google’s response.

Lack of transparency and timelinessMany industry professionals have criticized Google for its delayed and unclear response to the issue.

Mike Ryan, head of e-commerce and a prominent voice in the digital advertising industry, noted Google’s use of euphemistic language in its communications, such as calling the incident a “systemic issue.”

• Ryan argues this vague terminology is unaccountable and does not provide advertisers with a clear explanation of what happened.

He also doesn’t like the language used:

• “I also find the phrase ‘we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused’ to be cliché and disingenuous.”

Melissa Mackey, director of paid search and a 22-year veteran of the paid search industry, described the glitch as “one of the weirdest things” she’s encountered in her career, emphasizing the strangeness of the situation and the insufficient explanation.

Brett Bodofsky noted the initial lack of formal communication when the issue first arose, noting that while Ginny Marvin (a Google advertising specialist) provided updates via social media, more immediate and formal communication would have been preferable.

• Bodofsky emphasized that “customers want and deserve quick answers when these types of issues arise.”

Inconsistent compensation messagesThe issue of compensation for injured advertisers has also become a contentious issue.

Chris Ridley, head of paid media, noted the lack of a clear timeline for when the credits would be issued, with Google repeatedly saying they would be delivered in the “coming weeks” for more than two weeks.

Adding to the confusion was Hana Kobzová, a PPC specialist, who noticed inconsistencies in emails sent to various advertisers. While some received notifications about upcoming credits, others affected by the issue received no mention of compensation, leading to further uncertainty and frustration.

• Kobzová noted – I am confused because the credit was supposed to be given to the affected accounts. The subject of the email I received is “Your Shopping products that were displayed and reported were affected”, but there is no mention of credit.

Dids Reeve

Calls for detailed impact reportsSeveral advertisers have expressed a desire for more comprehensive information about the impact of the incident on their accounts.

McKenzie Davis, senior SEM specialist, emphasized the need for “timely and transparent communication,” suggesting that Google should provide detailed reports detailing the percentage of spend, clicks, and impressions that went to products from other Google Merchant Center accounts. Davis also noted:

• “The vague message, which referred to ‘a small amount of advertising traffic to your Google Ads account (that) was displaying products from other Google Merchant Center accounts,’ appeared almost three weeks after the incident and didn’t really tell us anything.”
• “In the context of recent headlines about the platform’s shady practices, there is not enough trust in the advertiser/Google relationship to manage this incident in the way it did.”

James Foster, senior manager of paid media, echoed this sentiment, calling for “more information on how this impacted my ad account, what data other advertisers could see, and how much ad spend went through my account and went to other companies/my competitors.”

Security and Trust Concerns. Odi Caspi, founder and digital marketing specialist, raised concerns about a potential breach of confidentiality, noting that the flaw exposed data that should have been protected by passwords and two-factor authentication.

• Caspi suggested that some form of compensation should be considered, not only for financial reasons but as an acknowledgement of Google’s responsibility in the matter.

We are moving forwardAs the dust settles from this unprecedented glitch, the ad community is calling on Google to:

• Provide a more detailed and clear explanation of the cause of the problem.
• Provide clear reporting on the impact on individual advertiser accounts.
• Provide a detailed schedule for disbursing funds to the affected accounts.
• Describe the measures being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.

This incident underscored the critical importance of clear, timely, and transparent communication with advertising platforms, especially in times of crisis. As Google continues to be in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, maintaining trust between platforms and advertisers will be crucial to the continued growth and success of the industry.