Analysis: Google Marketing Ban Opens New Advertising Strategies

Google’s advertisement ban for Forex and CFD brokers certainly created some big waves. The industry might have inadvertently put itself into the spotlight after starting to push cryptocurrency trading late last year.

The announcement came as a big surprise and the most affected parties from the ban are likely to be affiliate websites using the Google Ads platform. Those, and of course, brokers that are flying under the radar, are set to be put on different terms when compared to their peers.

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So will the prices for appropriate keywords drop, and if so, who will be able to benefit?

Predatory marketing

It is not a secret that the Forex and CFD industries have suffered greatly under the weight of unregulated brokers, that have been scamming clients all over the globe. Not only do such brokers typically manipulate their prices and exercise hot sales tactics against their clients to make them deposit unaffordable sums, but they also are affecting the industry as a whole.

To facilitate the acquisition of clients, such brokers have been typically using affiliate websites that are flying under the radar. Apparently, Google has noticed that the trend has spread into cryptocurrencies and chose to act to prevent similar abuses in that space. (Not that such abuses haven’t already happened.)

Regulated brokers could benefit, but..

The initial reaction to the ban on advertising via Google Ads was rather steep and emotional. As the news sunk in, regulated brokers realized that they are less likely to be the targets of such a ban and that the search engine giant is focusing on the ‘Wild West’ part of the industry.

Not only have unregulated brokers been damaging the reputation of Forex and CFD brokers for years, but they have also spearheaded the toxic binary options industry. This part of the space has been one of the main focuses of new ESMA regulations published earlier today.

Aside from making life difficult for affiliate websites, that are not focusing on SEO but on Google Ads, the ban could actually be beneficial for regulated brokers. Not only will they be able to provide their services, but Google is unlikely to hamper legitimate regulated businesses, which is the next prospective issue for brokers and industry alike.

Regional targeting could be problematic

The main unknown factor for companies in the industry has been what the guidelines that brokers will need to adhere to in order to be able to get certified by Google are. Unfortunately, not many people know the answer to this question.

While the search engine giant is working on finalizing the details around this aspect of the ban/restriction, the clear losers are brokers that are targeting clients in countries where they are not licensed to operate.

Companies have been facing resistance from search engines in the aftermath of some tough regulatory action on part of industry watchdogs in big markets such as Russia and China.

Natural language advertising to take center stage

The websites that are producing content that is focused on the industry and trading might actually be some of the biggest beneficiaries from the ban (assuming that Google doesn’t ban searching). Native advertising should be the way forward instead of relying on raw spending on ads.

Not only is the methodology proven as a more effective way to build a brand, but it is also much cheaper at this stage. Prices of keywords have increased to levels that are making Google Ads advertising prohibitively expensive for many brokers. Firms such as Plus500 and IQ Option, which have developed smart bidding algorithms have dominated the space and priced out competition altogether.