IP address blocking at least where Google is concerned is a two-way street. On the one hand, it can be an advertising management tool or a way for you to keep sites that have your address from gaining access. Conversely, IP Address blocking is a way Google deals with webmasters who violate Google's Terms of Service. Understanding both sides of the Google IP-blocking policy can help you use it to your advantage or, alternately, to never have to deal with it at all.
Google AdWords
As of the date of this publication the policy on user-defined Google AdWords IP-address blocking a process Google calls IP exclusion states you can block up to 100 IP address, either individually or as a group for each advertising campaign your website runs. Google policy states that because IP exclusion puts your site at risk for loss of revenue, they take no responsibility for the results or the lack of results you achieve. Complete IP exclusion from the Exclusions link on the Networks tab of your Google AdWords account.
Google Analytics
IP blocking and the process you follow is different on Google Analytics. Here, the intent is often to improve reporting capabilities by filtering out IP addresses that correspond to internal traffic from Google Analytics reports. While there is no limit to the number of addresses or range of addresses you can block, you must enter the addresses using regular expressions. If you want to block the IP address 176.168.1.1 you must format it as 176\.168\.1\.1 and if you want to block an IP address range of 176.168.1.1-25 the correct format is ^176\.168\.1\.([1-9]1[0-9]2[0-5])$. Complete IP filtering from the Filter Manager tab on your Google Analytics Settings page.
Google-Enforced IP Blocking
When Google initiates IP blocking, your website will not appear in search results and will not be included in crawling activities. You will essentially not exist in the eyes of Google. Although the Google Terms of Service policy gives the company a broad range of reasons to block your IP address, deceptive or manipulative actions that violate quality guidelines are a major cause. Violations according to Google policy include hiding text or links within Web content, cloaking and sending or using third-party sites that send automated queries to Google. Violations also include practicing keyword stuffing, filling multiple websites with duplicate content, adding malware, viruses or trojans, participating in malicious behavior such as phishing or making Web pages specifically for SEO reasons.
Terms of Service Agreement
Google Terms of Service span the full range of services that Google offers to private and business customers. This legal agreement which you should read in its entirety and must accept before signing on with Google outlines the nature of your relationship with Google, includes guidelines for using Google services and identifying consequences for violations to the agreement. Because Google reserves the right to take whatever action they feel is necessary, termination of service and IP address blocking is a real possibility for certain violations.
