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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
by: Christos Varsamis
Christos Varsamis is an internet marketing consultant. He is the
creator and publisher of
http://www.settinglifegoals.com &
http://www.internetmarketingsuccesstips.com
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