“Compromised Website” Error – Why Does It Appear and How to Fix It?

[Yeezypay]

If you've seen the "Compromised Website" message in your Google Ads account, it's a serious alert that needs your immediate attention. This message tells affiliate marketers, media buyers, and advertisers that Google has detected a security risk on their website. Ignoring this issue can lead to your advertising account being temporarily or even permanently banned, which means losing valuable traffic and revenue.

In this article, the team at YeezyPay, a service that provides trusted agency accounts for working with Google Ads, will break down why this error happens and how you can fix it.

Reasons why the “Compromised Website” error appears

Google flags websites as "compromised" for a variety of reasons. For instance, on a well-known forum for affiliate marketers and media buyers, one person claimed their website had no viruses or signs of hacking. Yet, Google still marked it as "compromised" in their Google Ads account. It took several months and many requests to Google's technical support team to get this issue resolved.



The quick tip here is that if you use a Google Ads trusted agency account, like the ones offered by YeezyPay, resolving this type of issue with Google's support team would likely only take a few minutes. These special agency accounts get priority when it comes to account moderation, and you also get a dedicated Google account manager to help you.



Below, we will look at the most common causes of this error.

Suspicion of malware

One of the top reasons you might see the "Compromised Website" message in your Google Ads account is due to the presence (or even the suspicion) of malware on your website. This can include malicious code or scripts hidden in your website files that redirect visitors to sketchy third-party websites, steal their data, or hijack your computing resources for things like mining cryptocurrency. Sometimes, attackers might even upload infected files that automatically download to your users' devices.

For example, you might have embedded code that sends users to fraudulent websites, like yoursite.com/page?redirect=spam.com. Or, there could be a sneaky script in your order form that steals credit card details, especially if you're running offers in grayhat verticals like nutra from a shady affiliate network or direct advertiser.

CMS vulnerabilities, outdated plugins, weak passwords


Another common reason is vulnerabilities in your content management system (CMS) or plugins. If you aren't keeping your WordPress or Joomla CMS up to date, hackers can exploit known security flaws to gain access to your website. The same risk applies to outdated plugins, whether they’re for contact forms, SEO optimization, or other functionalities.



In addition, weak security practices can also leave your website vulnerable. Using simple, easy-to-guess passwords for your admin panel, FTP, and database makes it easy for attackers to break in. Similarly, improperly configured file and directory permissions can expose your website to risks.

Phishing

Phishing attacks could be another reason. Attackers can set up fake login pages that look almost identical to your real ones to trick users into giving up their login credentials. They might also send emails that appear to come from your website, asking recipients to provide sensitive information or click on a malicious link.



Steps and methods for resolving the “Compromised Website” error

Let's move on to ways to solve the problem with the message about a “hacked” website.



First, you need to conduct a thorough diagnosis and analyze the situation. Google Search Console is a great tool for this, as it provides detailed information about the nature of the problem and where it’s located on your website.



It’s also recommended to scan your website for malicious code using online scanners like Sucuri SiteCheck, antivirus software, or by consulting a cybersecurity expert.



Once you’ve identified the root cause, it’s time to clean and restore your website. At this stage, it’s crucial to create a backup of your website and database. This ensures that you can restore everything in case something goes wrong during the cleanup.

Next, remove all suspicious content. This includes individual files, scripts, or even entire sections of the website if needed. After that, update your CMS, all installed plugins, and themes to the latest versions to eliminate known vulnerabilities.

Also, check your robots.txt file for any bans on indexing important pages or suspicious rules. Finally, clear your website and browser cache to make sure all changes take effect.



To prevent future issues, focus on securing your website. Change all access passwords to strong, unique ones. This includes passwords for the admin panel, FTP, database, hosting, and any other important accounts.



It’s important to install a secure SSL certificate to protect data transmitted between your website and users. Additionally, enable two-factor authentication wherever possible to make unauthorized access significantly harder.

Once you’ve completed all these steps, submit a request for a re-check in Google Search Console. If everything is resolved, Google will remove the “Compromised Website” flag, and your advertising campaigns can resume as normal.

Additional security measures for affiliate marketers working in grayhat verticals

If you’re an experienced affiliate marketer working with a lot of advertising campaigns, landing pages, and offers in grayhat verticals, consider using trusted Google Ads agency accounts. These accounts offer several advantages, including a higher level of trust from Google, which reduces the likelihood of being banned due to security issues. You can access such accounts through services like YeezyPay.



Another benefit of using trusted accounts is the ability to recover the remaining funds from a banned account. Since the “Compromised Website” error can eventually lead to an advertising account ban, this option is invaluable for avoiding unexpected expenses and maintaining the overall ROI of your campaigns.

In addition, it’s recommended to thoroughly vet all partner websites from which you plan to acquire backlinks for vulnerabilities and malicious code. Using different accounts and payment information for various projects is also a good idea to minimize risks in case one account is banned.

Conclusion

The "Compromised Website" error in Google Ads is a big red flag for affiliate marketers. It means Google Ads might ban your advertising account soon. Ignoring this message can lead to not just your account, but even your domain getting banned from the platform.

However, if you act quickly and use trusted agency accounts with better moderation and a dedicated support manager, you can solve the problem fast and keep your advertising campaigns safe.