How to Detect Google Ads on Websites

As a SEO professional, it is crucial to identify whether a website uses Google Ads or other forms of advertising. Here are several methods you can use to detect Google Ads on websites:

Official Tools and Methods

Google provides an Ads Transparency Tool that can help you detect if a website has any ads run or running via Google Ads. To use this tool, follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to the Google Ads Transparency Tool. Step 2: Put the website link and select “Worldwide” as the location. Step 3: The tool will show you all ads that this website has run or currently running.

If no ads are listed, it means the website is not being used for any Google Ads.

Manual Inspection and Browser Tools

1. Manual Inspection

To manually inspect a website for ads:

Step 1: Visit the Google search engine and type in the URL of the website you want to check. Step 2: Look for any search results that have ads displayed. Step 3: Check for ads as banners, pop-ups, or embedded within the content.

2. Browser Developer Tools

You can use browser developer tools to inspect the website's HTML structure for ads:

Step 1: Visit the website directly in your browser. Step 2: Press F12 to open the developer tools. Step 3: Look for ad-related elements in the HTML structure, often found in iframe, script, or div tags with class names that include _googleads_.

3. Ad Blocker Tools

To use ad blocker tools, follow these steps:

Step 1: Install an ad blocker extension like AdBlock, uBlock Origin, or AdGuard. Step 2: When you visit the website, the ad blocker will block ads and often show how many ads were detected.

4. Check for Google AdSense

To specifically check for Google AdSense ads, look for the presence of Google AdSense code in the page source:

Step 1: Look for the div tag with the class name google_ads. Step 2: Verify the presence of the script tag with a Google AdSense ID within the HTML code.

5. Use Online Tools and Browser Extensions

There are several online tools and browser extensions that can analyze a website and provide information about the presence of ads:

Step 1: Visit websites such as SimilarWeb or BuiltWith. Step 2: Use these tools to gain insights into the ad networks used by the site.

6. Look for Sponsored Content

Some websites may have sponsored posts or content that is not traditional advertising but still monetizes through partnerships. To identify such content:

Step 1: Look for articles or posts labeled as sponsored. Step 2: Check the footnote or the byline for collaboration with brands or companies.

Additional Methods

While the methods mentioned above can offer insights, it's important to note that they may not always be 100% accurate or up-to-date. Here are a few additional methods:

1. Google Ad Experience Report

This tool provides information about the ad experience of a website but is primarily aimed at webmasters. It does not offer a direct way for users to check if a specific website has ads.

2. Inspecting Page Source

Ad placements may be visible in the page source code. To inspect the page source code:

Step 1: Right-click on the webpage and select “View Page Source” or “Inspect.” Step 2: Search for ad-related code snippets such as script tags with references to ad networks.

3. Third-party Tools and Services

Third-party security and SEO tools can analyze websites, providing detailed reports on the presence of ads. These tools often use a combination of techniques such as analyzing page source behavior and network requests.

Conclusion

By using a combination of official tools, browser extensions, and third-party services, you can effectively determine whether a website has Google Ads or other advertisements. While these methods can offer valuable insights, always verify the accuracy of the results using multiple approaches.