Click fraud has become a major problem for online marketers. If you participate on Google adwords campaigns or Overture, you must already pay a lot for your campaigns.
What is click fraud?
Click fraud is the deliberate clicks to PPC search engine ads for completely other reasons than expressing interest for buying the related products or services.
Overture defines click fraud as clicks arising for reasons other than the good-faith intention of an Internet user to visit a web site to purchase goods or services or to obtain information.
Google defines click fraud, or invalid clicks, as any method used to artificially and/or maliciously generate clicks or page impressions.
In simple words, Click fraud means that someone is cheating you and that you pay too much for your pay per click campaigns.
Who is doing that?
Three main groups click on pay per click ads, without real interest in the offered goods:
People who joined Google AdSense or other per click affiliate programs click on the ads on their own web site to make a little income. Often, these people cooperate with other webmasters to click on each other's ads.
Some unethical companies click on the pay per click ads of competitors to drive up their advertising costs.
Companies (often in India, Russia and China) hire people who are paid to click on ads.
Google and other search networks provide refunds to advertisers when click fraud has been discovered.
Google and Overture employ "fraud squads," or teams of people dedicated to fighting click schemes. But at least two marketing executives say such countermeasures are missing fraudulent clicks that are responsible for between 5 percent and 20 percent of advertising fees paid to all search networks.
This is a huge problem. There is no "pay per click" Company denying that click fraud exists. Web analytics companies estimates that the 50% of all click activity is fraudulent.
This means that your pay per click marketing activities are half effective as they could be because of click fraud.
Overture spokeswoman Jennifer Stephens refutes that estimate, saying that the numbers likely represent acts of fraud that are ultimately caught. She added that Overture filters most fraudulent clicks with the best antifraud system in the industry, which combines technology and human analysis.
Most advertisers are aware of the click-fraud issue but have not delved into it because of the technical complexities involved. Others are concerned that they could jeopardize their relationships with the powerful search networks if they complain too loudly.
One of the best ways to eliminate click fraud is using anti click fraud services such as ppctrax (www.ppctrax.com). They provide services like the below:
IP address capture.
IP address geographic Location.
User Agent (browser, bot etc.)
See exactly what keywords are generating your clicks
Date and Time stamp
System detects sudden click spikes from one or more IP addresses
Real-time email alerts at 80% and 100% of your account's transaction utilization
IP address history - alert you to prior offenders
Another similar service is "who is clicking who": http://www.whosclickingwho.com
Other ways is the click fraud capture software like Click Auditor: http://www.keywordmax.com/click_auditor.html
Christos Varsamis is an internet marketing consultant. He is the creator and publisher of http://www.settinglifegoals.com & http://www.settinglifegoals.com.
shuttle from Midway Glen Ellyn ..A few days ago, I was setting up my latest... Read More
We read about how to develop a Google AdWord campaign,... Read More
Setting up a pay-per-click campaign is simple, right? Practically all... Read More
As marketers and business owners, we're always looking for "the... Read More
As you probably know, Google Adwords is a pay-per-click solution... Read More
It may seem to be a very expensive way of... Read More
On June 24, 2005, a lawsuit was filed against Google... Read More
Sure you can. If you will learn how many other... Read More
An unfortunate byproduct of the pay per click advertising business... Read More
With so many people trying to make money on the... Read More
If you have been online for quiet some time you... Read More
First of all, you know as well that Google is... Read More
Make $$$$ with Google Adsense! Top Paying Keywords! $100 per... Read More
Not long ago, Forbes magazine has reported that pay per... Read More
Yahoo announced that their Publisher Network, formerly available in the... Read More
Did you know that there are actually pay per click... Read More
Introduction:Of all the important decisions that go into a successful... Read More
If you're an active Adsense publisher, I'm sure you have... Read More
A ClickBank merchant account allows you to define and sell... Read More
The other day I was talking to one of my... Read More
Google and Yahoo-Overture control over 90% of the... Read More
Lots of people would like to get their Web site... Read More
We constantly receive phone calls from clients, prospective clients and... Read More
It's easy to overlook the basics of a strong AdWords... Read More
What are Website Conversion Strategies?Website conversion strategies are marketing and... Read More
shuttle from O'Hare North Chicago ..As you probably already know, AdSense is revolutionizing the way... Read More
Google stands to lose millions if fraud continues. It is... Read More
So You Want Big Profits From Your AdWords PPC Advertising?... Read More
Google Inc. is suing a Houston-based company for allegedly clicking... Read More
In Google AdWords, the advertisers' links show up when someone... Read More
Pay per click search engines are a great way to... Read More
Pay per click (PPC) advertising continues to gain popularity in... Read More
One of the biggest threats to the continued growth of... Read More
How much revenue do you generate from Google Adsense?Recently there... Read More
If you're a webmaster, you've probably heard about Google's Adsense.... Read More
What is Average Customer Lifetime Value?Traditional business philosophy is that... Read More
Clickbank has been around for years and has earned an... Read More
Joel Comm is the best-selling author of a book called... Read More
A ClickBank merchant account allows you to define and sell... Read More
Did you know that there are actually pay per click... Read More
If you have been online for quiet some time you... Read More
Despite what you may hear, the Google AdSense program is... Read More
To be a successful affiliate marketer takes a ton of... Read More
Numerous bloggers these days are looking to earn extra cash... Read More
Pay-Per click fraud dates back even from the time when... Read More
I often get asked what the secret is to making... Read More
Dinner With Mark JoynerAbout 3 Years ago in Los Angeles... Read More
If you know anything at all about Internet marketing, then... Read More
It's worthwhile to examine Google's definition of Google AdSense and... Read More
The darkest nightmare a hardworking affiliate webmaster fears is receiving... Read More
Pay-Per-Click Advertising |