Google’s Double Standard Needs to End

Google’s Inability to Help Print On Demand Businesses Market – And Why They’re Hypocrites

In the ever-evolving world of eCommerce, Print On Demand (POD) businesses have carved out a thriving niche, enabling entrepreneurs to create, design, and sell custom products without holding any inventory. With its low barrier to entry and relatively low upfront costs, POD has become an attractive business model for creative individuals looking to monetize their designs. However, despite its success, many POD business owners are facing a growing frustration: Google’s inability – and at times, its outright hypocrisy – when it comes to supporting their marketing efforts.

As the giant of online search and advertising, Google holds a critical position in the digital marketing ecosystem. Entrepreneurs and business owners rely heavily on Google’s tools and platforms to market their businesses, with the belief that the search engine king can help them scale and reach a wider audience. But for POD businesses, Google’s approach has not only been unhelpful but often contradictory and harmful to their growth.

In this post, we’ll explore why Google’s lack of support for POD businesses is not just a failure of service but a glaring case of hypocrisy.

Google’s Obsession with “Quality Content” – But Not for POD Sellers

Google’s core mission, from the outset, has been to deliver “relevant” content to its users. This is often boiled down to a focus on high-quality, informative, and authoritative content that aligns with a user’s search intent. Google even rewards businesses that provide value to users in the form of rich, informative articles, blogs, videos, and other forms of content that meet the standards of their algorithm.

However, when it comes to Print On Demand businesses, the “quality content” model breaks down.

POD businesses primarily sell physical products—often unique designs printed on everything from t-shirts to mugs to phone cases. These businesses don’t necessarily create lengthy articles or in-depth blog posts about their products but instead rely on visually engaging content and a smooth user experience to drive sales. Their success lies in the products themselves, the designs, and the ability to reach a specific audience with targeted advertisements.

But Google’s advertising policies and search algorithms seem to ignore this.

Instead of allowing POD businesses to flourish with ads and product visibility, Google often flags and bans these businesses for violating advertising policies related to “misleading content” or “lack of transparency.” The very fact that POD businesses often rely on third-party platforms (like Shopify, Etsy, or Printful) to handle fulfillment and logistics often leads Google’s algorithms to classify them as “dropshipping” businesses. The result? These POD businesses face roadblocks and penalties that prevent them from being able to advertise their products effectively, even if the products themselves are perfectly legitimate and follow all the guidelines.

Google’s Hypocrisy: Promoting a “Creative Economy” While Stifling Creativity

Google has long touted itself as an advocate for small businesses and the “creative economy.” Through programs like Google for Startups and initiatives aimed at empowering digital creators, the tech giant markets itself as an ally to entrepreneurs, especially those in the creative industries.

And yet, when it comes to Print On Demand businesses – a model that allows independent artists and designers to profit from their creativity – Google’s policies contradict this very vision.

Consider the massive success of platforms like Etsy, which thrive on creators selling custom, handmade, and unique products. Google, however, often lumps these platforms into a “high-risk” category when it comes to advertising. This categorization leads to higher costs for ads, restricted access to Google Ads, and, in some cases, outright banning of ads for POD businesses selling through these platforms.

It’s a glaring contradiction. Google claims to support creators and startups, but when those creators attempt to market and advertise their work—without holding inventory, mind you—they are punished by an advertising ecosystem that caters to larger businesses or those with a traditional model of holding inventory and fulfilling orders themselves. In essence, Google is blocking the very type of small, creative businesses it claims to support.

The Challenges with Google Ads: A Barrier to Entry for POD Businesses

One of the most significant pain points for POD business owners is navigating Google Ads. For those unfamiliar, Google Ads is one of the most effective ways to reach potential customers online. With its vast reach and targeting options, it should be a no-brainer for any business looking to grow. But for POD businesses, the reality is different.

First, getting approved for Google Ads can be a long and complicated process. With Google’s stringent rules on what constitutes “acceptable” advertising, POD businesses often find themselves jumping through hoops just to get a simple ad campaign off the ground. For example, a business selling a custom-designed t-shirt may have trouble getting its ads approved because Google’s algorithm flags the business as a “potential dropshipping site,” even if the POD business is legitimate, fully transparent, and follows the rules.

Second, even after ads are approved, the cost of advertising through Google Ads can be prohibitive for many small POD businesses. Due to Google’s policy of prioritizing large advertisers and established brands, smaller businesses are forced to compete for ad space in highly saturated markets, driving up the cost per click (CPC). This cost, combined with restrictions and limited ad reach, makes it incredibly difficult for smaller POD businesses to scale using Google Ads alone.

Lastly, Google’s algorithm doesn’t always play fair with smaller businesses when it comes to organic search visibility either. While large corporations with well-established brands benefit from SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and can show up at the top of search results through paid ads, smaller POD sellers with custom designs often find themselves buried deep in the search results. Google’s algorithms tend to favor “authority” and “trustworthy” websites—something that’s hard for a new, small POD shop to build up quickly.

The Irony: Google Profits from Creative Content – But Doesn’t Support the Creators

Let’s take a step back for a moment and consider the irony of the situation: Google makes billions in revenue through advertising, much of it from creative content. Every time someone clicks on a Google ad for a custom t-shirt, mug, or poster, Google profits from that transaction. Yet, Google does little to help the creators who are providing that content in the first place.

Instead of offering robust advertising tools or breaking down barriers for POD sellers, Google effectively places an invisible wall between these creators and their potential customers. Google is happy to profit from creative businesses, but it does little to ensure that those businesses have an equal opportunity to reach their audience.

A Call for Change: Google Needs to Be More Transparent and Supportive

If Google truly wants to be the leader in empowering small businesses and supporting the creative economy, it needs to start treating Print On Demand businesses with the respect and consideration they deserve. Google should take a more nuanced approach to advertising policies and make it easier for small POD businesses to market their unique products without arbitrary bans or penalties.

This means:

• Re-evaluating Advertising Policies: Google must differentiate between legitimate POD businesses and dropshipping scams to ensure that creators can run ads without unnecessary restrictions.
• Lowering Barriers for Small Creators: Reducing costs for smaller businesses by making advertising more affordable for those with limited budgets, and offering more comprehensive support for new entrepreneurs.
• Encouraging Creativity, Not Stifling It: Google should actively support small businesses that help shape the creative economy by prioritizing a diverse range of sellers in search results and providing better tools for showcasing unique, creative products.

Conclusion: Google’s Double Standard Needs to End

The fact that Google is both the largest player in the online advertising space and a gatekeeper for so many businesses’ success makes it all the more important for the company to hold itself accountable for its role in fostering a fair and equitable digital ecosystem. Right now, that ecosystem is leaving Print On Demand business owners—and by extension, creators—out in the cold. Google’s hypocrisy in promoting creativity while stifling the very businesses that bring it to life must be addressed if it truly wants to continue being seen as the ally of small businesses and the creative economy.

For now, many POD entrepreneurs will continue to fight for visibility and success on platforms that don’t seem to recognize their worth. Whether Google chooses to adjust its policies or lose out on the next generation of online creators is a question only time will answer.