What are the compliance requirements for search engine ads? Specifically, pertaining to FDIC and Equal Housing statements/logos. The best I can figure out is that the regulations weren't written with search ads in mind so treat them as printed ads. However, I constantly see Google ads for banks without these statements. Is there an exception I'm unaware of? Are the requirements just never enforced?

Welcome to the Forum! You're talking about banner ads, right?

Thank you very much! Not exactly. I'm specifically curious about Google Search Ads that sometimes appear above the results when users search for key words. The ads contain a URL and a short description text. So the big question is whether "FDIC Member" or "Equal Housing Lender" is required in that limited text space.

I feel like I've researched this in the past without luck, or not remembering exactly what I found. Are you talking about "SEO" searches? That's something I remember being involved.

Are you talking about the sponsored results that appear at the top of your search results? For example, if I google "mortgage," I get three entries beginning with "ad" before the real search results.

I'm looking into the same issue as the original poster.
In response to the post by InFairness, "yes." I'm referring to the sponsored ad at the top of your search engine search results.
I've heard it referred to as SEO and SEM ads.

Does Member FDIC and EHL not apply? Those things are 1 click away, but in my mind that's not sufficient. However, all bank ads I find don't contain those.

That those statements (Member FDIC and/or Equal Housing Lender) do not appear in Web ads you have reviewed does not mean they aren't required. Whether they are required will depend on the content of the ad.