AdWords Account Management – The Web Authority

May 20, 2025

The Unexpected Impact of Old Web Pages on AI Search and Ad Results

AI's Impact on PPC Marketing Strategies and Google Ads

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming how businesses operate, especially with tools like Google’s AI-driven search results and advertising campaign types in Google Ads like Performance Max. While these advancements bring convenience and automation, they can also lead to unexpected outcomes if not carefully monitored and managed. One such issue is the impact of leaving outdated web pages on your web server.

This seemingly minor oversight can have serious repercussions, including misleading AI-generated search snippets, inaccurate ad content, and customer service challenges. Here’s what you need to know to avoid these pitfalls.

The Problem with Outdated Web Pages

Google’s AI and Web Crawling

Google’s AI engine is designed to crawl (or “spider”) everything it finds on your web server. While this comprehensive indexing is key to ensuring your website is discoverable, the AI doesn’t differentiate between current and outdated pages. This can result in old, irrelevant content being factored into search results and even Google Ads ad copy.

For example, imagine you’ve transitioned to a new website but forgot to take down pages from your previous site. Google’s AI may still access these old resources, leading to confusion. This issue becomes even more problematic in AI-driven features like Performance Max Ads and organic AI search snippets, where AI pulls text from available web pages to craft ad content or highlight prominent information in search results.

A Real-Life Example

To illustrate the potential fallout, consider a recent incident involving a doctor who launched a revamped website for their practice. Unfortunately, old pages from their previous site were left on the server. These outdated pages mentioned a service the doctor no longer provided.

Here’s how the situation spiraled:

AI-Generated Ad Content

Google’s Performance Max Ads generated ad copy referencing the outdated service. The AI pulled this information from the old pages, resulting in promotional ads for a service the doctor didn’t offer. It is important to know that you cannot see all versions of AI generated ad text in the Google Ads control panel. Google Ads may even create campaign ID’s that are not displayed in your account leading to further problems in trying to solve an issue.

Organic Search Snippet Issues

AI snippets in organic search results also prominently mentioned the outdated service. To make matters worse, the snippets referenced promotional offers and price points pulled from another doctor’s website. However, the way the information was presented at the top of the Google search results page, it made it seem like the offers were linked to the physician’s practice.

Customer Confusion

Customers searching for this service began reaching out to the doctor, expecting to book an appointment. When they found out the service wasn’t offered, it created a poor customer experience and eroded trust in the business.

This scenario highlights how leaving outdated pages on your server can cause real-world problems for businesses and professionals leveraging AI tools.

Why This Happens

AI-driven tools, such as Google’s algorithms, operate based on the data they find. They are not inherently “intelligent” in discerning outdated or incorrect information. Their primary goal is to provide the most relevant content based on keywords and user queries. If outdated web pages exist on your server, the AI assumes that data is still current and valid, incorporating it into both search outputs and advertising frameworks.

The Potential Consequences

Failing to address old web pages can result in:

Misinformation in AI Search Results

Outdated content can confuse potential customers and damage your reputation if it’s tied to services or products you no longer offer.

Flawed Ad Text in Performance Max Ads

AI-generated ad campaigns may promote irrelevant services or products, leading to wasted ad spend and frustrated customers.

Customer Service Challenges

Misinformation from AI tools can lead to a barrage of inquiries for services you don’t provide, diverting your team’s time and resources.

Brand Credibility Issues

When users encounter misleading or inconsistent information about your brand, it can erode trust and impact your industry reputation.

How to Avoid These Pitfalls

Preventing these issues starts with proactive website server management. Here’s how you can safeguard your brand from unintended AI consequences:

Audit Your Web Server Regularly

Perform routine audits of your web server to identify and remove outdated pages. A tool like the Google Search Console can help you discover pages still indexed in search engines.

Set Up Redirects

If old URLs have been indexed by Google, use 301 redirects to guide users (and search engines) to current pages. This ensures no one lands on outdated content.

Use Robots.txt and Meta Tags

To prevent search engines from crawling outdated pages, update your robots.txt file or add a noindex meta tag to those pages. But better yet, remove the page from the server entirely and use a 401 notification and even block the old file URL in your robots.txt file.

Monitor Performance Max Ad Copy

Regularly review the ad copy generated by Google’s Performance Max campaigns to ensure accuracy. If you notice AI pulling incorrect details, address the source of the content immediately.

Plan Before a Website Transition

If you’re launching a new website, work with your development and SEO teams to decommission the old site properly. Remove all outdated content from your server before going live with a new website.

Stay Up to Date with AI Tools

Google and other platforms frequently update their AI algorithms. Follow their announcements to stay informed about changes that could affect your search or advertising performance.

Take Control of AI for Better Results

AI tools like Google’s search and ad platforms are incredibly powerful, but they work best when supplied with accurate and up-to-date information. By actively managing your web presence and eliminating outdated content, you can ensure AI serves your business rather than misrepresenting it.

Don’t allow something as simple as forgotten web pages to create confusion, damage your reputation, or waste valuable marketing resources. Take these steps today, and keep your business positioned for success in an AI-driven world.

For more insights into AI search and ad strategies, or for help optimizing your business content, subscribe to our blog or get in touch with our experts.

If you are a one of our customers, ask us for a server review to assure that old pages and archived content do not exist and that services or products no longer offered are not archived on your web server.

November 22, 2024

Navigating the US Antitrust Trial Over Google Ads

Team reviewing a proposal from McCord Web Services.

On September 9th, Google faced a new antitrust trial centered on allegations of monopolistic behavior in digital advertising. This trial raises several concerns among our clients—chief among them being the trustworthiness of Google, the fairness of advertising costs, and the potential breakup of Google Ads.

While the trial unfolds, it is crucial to understand that any resulting changes will be implemented gradually, ensuring that your advertising costs remain transparent and competitive. Google’s defense argues that the digital advertising landscape is far more complex and competitive than depicted by the federal government. However, for those concerned about the potential impact on Google Ads, consider exploring alternative platforms like Microsoft Advertising and Facebook Ads.

Rest assured, we are committed to maximizing the value of your ad spend and will keep you updated on any developments affecting your advertising strategy.

November 22, 2024

Google Ads Update

Google Ads has introduced AI-powered enhancements to its Performance Max campaigns, focusing on asset testing, video optimization, and improved campaign management. Key updates include the integration of the Imagen 3 AI model for generating high-performing visuals. Advertisers will also benefit from advanced asset testing, allowing us to measure the impact of supplementary elements like images and text on product-feed campaigns.

Additionally, a new Ad Rank-based system will replace automatic prioritization, determining which ads are served when multiple campaign types target the same products or services.

These updates provide advertisers with new opportunities for us to optimize campaign performance, especially as businesses prepare for the holiday traffic season. The rollout of these features starts immediately, with some, like retail asset testing, available earlier in November.

September 27, 2023September 27, 2023

Strike… Google Institutes Penalties for Not Following the Rules

It’s called three strikes you’re out – Google has instituted new penalties to get advertisers’ attention to policy violations.

Our concern is the number of false positives that we routinely see and the difficulty in resolving these issues due to the inability to just pick up the phone and chat to a Googler. Since Covid, Google now has an “ask for a call” option. It appears that support is now based in India. Many times the return calls we get are marked as No Mo Robo calls and are blocked by Verizon after one ring.

Management of this new program will be problematic. Here’s just one example – a client sells trailer hitches. Images are frequently marked as violations as Google thinks the image of the trailer hitch looks like a gun.

Here’s the full release that Google has sent to advertisers and account managers.

Dear Advertiser,

In September 2021, Google will introduce a new strike-based system to enforce against advertisers who repeatedly violate Google Ads policies. We will begin implementing the strike-based system on Sep 21, 2021, with a gradual ramp up over a period of 3 months, for the following policies: Enabling dishonest behavior, Unapproved substances, Guns, gun parts and related products, Explosives, Other Weapons, and Tobacco. The policy coverage of the strike-based system will be expanded to add additional policies in phases over time and advertisers will be notified each time new policies are brought within scope of the strike-based system.

Please note that this update does not impact the account suspension procedures for egregious Google Ads policy violations.

What’s changing:

To help ensure a safe and positive experience for users, Google requires advertisers to comply with Google Ads policies. As a part of the Google Ads enforcement system, Google will begin issuing strikes to advertisers, which will be accompanied by email notifications and in-account notifications to encourage compliance and deter repeat violations of our policies.

An advertiser’s first policy violation will only result in a warning. But advertisers will earn their first strike if we detect continued violation of our policies. Advertisers will be able to receive a maximum of three strikes, and the penalties applied with each strike will progressively increase. Temporary account holds will be applied for the first and second strikes (for 3 and 7 days respectively), while the third strike will result in an account suspension.

An advertiser placed on a temporary account hold will be required to remedy the violations in question and to submit an acknowledgement form to resume serving ads. Following this acknowledgement, their account will be released from the temporary account hold state either 3 days after the first strike was issued, or after 7 days for a second strike. Advertisers can also appeal a strike decision if they believe it was issued in error. Ads will resume serving immediately after successfully appealing the strike. Accounts will remain on temporary hold if no action is taken by the advertiser to either acknowledge or appeal a strike. Strikes will remain on the Google Ads account for 90 days unless they’re successfully appealed.

Accounts suspended following a third strike will not be able to run any ads or create new content unless the suspension is successfully appealed. Learn more about suspended accounts.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

The Google Ads Team

To our blog readers, at McCord Web Services for visibility, we are just now starting to see the strike notices appear in the accounts. Remember three strikes means your account is suspended for 90 days and sometimes depending on the violations, forever.