rejection-root-cause-analysis

Rejection Root Cause Analysis

Analyze your Google AdSense rejection notice to understand exactly why you were rejected and what needs to be fixed.

Scope Context

Entry point for the rejection recovery path. Maps Google's feedback to specific ARB item IDs and declares the scope for downstream audits.

Field	Value
Phase	Post-rejection analysis
Downstream	recovery-action-plan, appeal-strategy-builder
ARB item coverage	All pillars (CI, PC, TH, UX, TD, SI) — scope depends on rejection type
Score mode declared	Core 79 + Profile for targeted re-audit; Full 105 when Google cites broad quality issues

Output must include:

• recommended_score_mode: the scope to use for follow-up audits
• primary_site_type: to select the correct extension profile
• mapped_items: list of ARB item IDs matched to each rejection reason

Purpose

Transform rejection notice into actionable insights:

• Map Google's feedback to specific ARB criteria
• Identify root causes vs. symptoms
• Prioritize fixes
• Create targeted remediation plan
• Prevent re-rejection

Quick Start

Input: Google rejection notice (text or screenshot) Output: Root cause analysis + ARB mapping + remediation priorities Time: 15-30 minutes

Workflow

Step 1: Extract Rejection Reason

Review Google's email for key phrases:

• "Policy violation"
• "Low-value content"
• "Spam practices"
• "Deceptive design"
• "Technical issues"

Step 2: Map to ARB Criteria

Google says... → ARB Criteria:

Google's Feedback	Likely Criteria	Common Root Cause
"Low-value content"	CI01-CI03	Thin pages, lack of depth, copied content
"Poor user experience"	UX02-UX06	Intrusive ads, deceptive design, poor layout
"Deceptive practices"	PC04, PC06	Misleading claims, false health claims
"Multiple policy violations"	PC01-PC08	Prohibited content present
"Technical issues"	TH01-TH05	HTTPS missing, broken links, sitemap issues
"Insufficient contact information"	TD	Missing about/contact page
"Health/financial claims"	PC04-PC05	Misinformation, unverified claims

Step 3: Categorize Issues

By Severity:

• Critical: Blocks all reapplications until fixed
• High: Likely re-rejection if not fixed
• Medium: May cause re-rejection
• Low: Minor issue, unlikely to affect decision

By Effort:

• Quick: <1 hour to fix
• Medium: 1-8 hours
• Complex: 1-5 days
• Extensive: 1+ weeks

Step 4: Create Action Plan

Address critical + quick fixes first

Step 5: Document Changes

Track what was fixed for resubmission

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Common Rejection Reasons & Root Causes

"Low-Value Content" (CI)

Google Feedback: "Your site contains pages with insufficient original, high-quality content that provides value to users."

Root Causes:

• Pages <300 words (CI01)
• Copied content from other sites (CI02)
• Generic, non-unique content (CI03)
• Thin pages at scale (CI06)
• Excessive self-duplication (CI07)

Fix Strategy (2-6 weeks):

1. Identify all pages <300 words
2. Expand to 300-1000+ words
3. Add unique perspective
4. Remove duplicates
5. Consolidate similar pages
6. Verify with audit tool

---

"Poor User Experience" (UX)

Google Feedback: "Your site has issues that negatively impact the user experience, such as intrusive ads or deceptive design."

Root Causes:

• Full-screen pop-ups on load (UX03)
• Ads covering >30% of viewport (UX02)
• Fake close buttons (UX06)
• Not mobile-responsive (UX07, UX14)
• Poor navigation (UX01)
• Intrusive ads on top (UX08)

Fix Strategy (1-2 weeks):

1. Remove or delay pop-ups
2. Relocate ads below fold
3. Add real close buttons
4. Ensure mobile responsiveness
5. Improve navigation structure
6. Add viewport meta tag

---

"Health Misinformation" (PC05)

Google Feedback: "Your site contains health-related content that goes against scientific consensus or promotes dangerous practices."

Root Causes:

• Anti-vaccine claims
• COVID denial/misinformation
• Unsupported medical claims
• Dangerous health advice
• Promotion of unproven treatments

Fix Strategy (1-3 weeks):

1. Identify all health claims
2. Fact-check against WHO, CDC, peer-reviewed studies
3. Remove false claims OR add disclaimers
4. Cite scientific studies
5. Recommend consulting doctors
6. Remove absolute language ("cures", "guarantees")

---

"Deceptive Content" (PC04)

Google Feedback: "Your site contains deceptive or misleading information designed to manipulate users."

Root Causes:

• False financial claims ("Make $10,000/day")
• Misleading testimonials
• Fake statistics
• Exaggerated product claims
• Misleading comparisons

Fix Strategy (3-7 days):

1. Audit all claims for accuracy
2. Remove false claims
3. Add supporting evidence
4. Use conservative language
5. Add disclaimers
6. Cite sources

---

"No Contact Information" (TD)

Google Feedback: "Your site lacks sufficient contact information or transparency."

Root Causes:

• No about page
• No contact form
• No physical address
• No author information
• No email listed

Fix Strategy (1-2 days):

1. Create about page with:
   • Company background
   • Author credentials
   • Team photos
   • Company mission
2. Add contact page with:
   • Contact form
   • Email address
   • Phone number
   • Physical address
3. Add author bios to content

---

"Spam Indicators" (SI)

Google Feedback: "Your site shows signs of spam or manipulative practices."

Root Causes:

• Keyword stuffing
• Hidden text
• Cloaking (different content for Googlebot)
• Spammy links
• Auto-generated content

Fix Strategy (1-2 weeks):

1. Audit for keyword stuffing
2. Remove hidden text/links
3. Ensure same content for all users
4. Audit inbound/outbound links
5. Verify all content is original/valuable
6. Remove auto-generated pages

---

"Technical Issues"

Google Feedback: "Technical problems prevent us from properly reviewing your site."

Root Causes:

• No HTTPS (TH01) — CRITICAL
• No sitemap (TH04)
• Broken robots.txt (TH03)
• Too many 404s (TH08)
• Page load >3 sec (TH06)

Fix Strategy (1-4 hours):

1. Enable HTTPS immediately
2. Create/update XML sitemap
3. Verify robots.txt allows crawling
4. Fix broken links
5. Optimize performance
6. Test with Google Search Console

---

Rejection Analysis Template

# Rejection Analysis Report

## Original Rejection Reason
[Copy Google's exact feedback]

## Root Cause Assessment

### Primary Causes
- [ ] [Issue 1] - [Severity: Critical/High/Medium]
- [ ] [Issue 2] - [Severity: ...]

### Contributing Factors
- [ ] [Issue 3]
- [ ] [Issue 4]

## ARB Criteria Mapping
- Primary: [CI01, CI02, etc.]
- Secondary: [TH01, TH02, etc.]

## Fix Priority

### Week 1 (Critical)
1. [Fix 1] - [1-2 hours]
2. [Fix 2] - [2-4 hours]

### Week 2 (High)
3. [Fix 3] - [4-8 hours]
4. [Fix 4] - [Ongoing]

### Week 3+ (Medium)
5. [Fix 5]

## Estimated Timeline
Total: 2-4 weeks

## Success Criteria
- [ ] All critical issues resolved
- [ ] Re-audit shows improvement
- [ ] No remaining policy violations

---

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Multiple Small Issues

Signs: "We found several issues..." Approach: Fix each category systematically Timeline: 2-3 weeks

Pattern 2: Single Major Issue

Signs: "Your site contains..." Approach: Focus on that category Timeline: 1-2 weeks

Pattern 3: Low-Value Content

Signs: "Insufficient original content" Approach: Expand thin pages, add unique value Timeline: 3-6 weeks

Pattern 4: UX/Design Issues

Signs: "Poor user experience" Approach: Remove pop-ups, optimize layout Timeline: 1-2 weeks

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Next Steps

1. Complete this analysis (15-30 min)
2. Review in recovery-action-plan skill
3. Execute fixes using relevant improvement guides
4. Re-verify with resubmission-readiness-check
5. Resubmit when ready

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Related Skills:

• Create action plan → recovery-action-plan
• Verify fixes → resubmission-readiness-check
• Appeal (if disputing) → appeal-strategy-builder