Fighting Click Fraud
Is click fraud really that big of an issue? Reports on the losses caused by ad fraud indicate so.
In the last year, $84 billion (22% of the total ad spend) was lost due to fraud. By 2028, forecasts suggest that ad fraud will steal a whopping $172 billion globally.
Advertisers need to be more devoted than ever to safeguarding their ads.
In this article, we help you verify whether your campaigns are being attacked by fraudsters by teaching you how to identify click fraud. Then, we take you through the best solutions to block fake clicks, from consistent manual monitoring to adopting click fraud protection software.
Let’s start with getting a deeper grasp of how this type of fraud works.
Understanding Click Fraud in Ad Campaigns
Click fraud refers to clicks on ad campaigns generated by bots or uninterested users. These fake clicks are a menace to ad campaigns because they never represent potential customers.
Actually, these fraudulent clicks eat away at your budget. They deplete your daily spending limits in a very short amount of time, preventing your ads from reaching real, possibly interested buyers.
Click fraud also increases the ineffectiveness of your ads by polluting your data. For instance, fake clicks inflate your click-through rate (CTR), which makes your campaign seem more successful than it actually is.
In addition, inflated metrics lead you to poor decision-making and missed opportunities since you do not have accurate data to analyze.
Signs Your Ad Campaigns Might Be Under Click Fraud Attack
Advertisers who know how to identify click fraud can shield their campaigns from fraudulent activity and implement click fraud protection measures to save their ad budget and performance.
Take a look at the first signs of fraud you should write down.
Unusual Click Patterns
At some point in your career, you must have come across strange click patterns on your ads. Paying attention to these anomalies can help you detect and block fraudsters that damage your campaigns.
Look for sudden spikes in clicks, especially outside the typical business hours or during periods irrelevant to your product or service. Usually, these surges suggest bot activity.
Geographical anomalies can also be a sign of fraudulent activity. A sudden influx of clicks from a region that does not match your target audience is a red flag, as it is commonly associated with click farms.
Low Conversion Rates
A sudden spike in clicks in an ad that does not translate to a reasonable number of conversions is a strong indicator of ad fraud.
When this happens, it means the clicks are coming from uninterested users. And this is a scenario you want to avoid, given its dire consequences.
Imagine an e-commerce website that suddenly gets thousands of clicks on ads but very few result in actual purchases. On top of failing to make sales, this company is losing money by the second because empty clicks drain your budget and hinder your return on investment (ROI).
High Bounce Rates
The bounce rate refers to the percentage of visitors who leave the website after viewing only the page they arrived at after clicking the ad.
It is common to have a certain percentage of bounce rate, but a high volume of users leaving your page immediately without any interaction can indicate malicious intent rather than interest in the campaign.
Abnormal Click-Through Rates (CTR)
Every advertiser’s goal is to have as many ad clicks as possible, as long as they are quality clicks with customer potential.
However, if your ad shows oddly high CTRs, especially compared to industry benchmarks or your typical ad performance, you might be dealing with fraudsters.
If you add some of the other signs we have mentioned earlier, then it is a big red flag.
Inconsistent Traffic Sources
Monitoring your traffic sources and identifying inconsistencies is crucial for understanding where your website visitors come from and ensuring your advertising efforts reach the right audience.
Imagine you launch an ad campaign for a high-end jewelry business. Ideally, you want to get clicks from websites frequented by people interested in buying luxury goods. It would not make sense for your ad to receive clicks from an obscure gaming forum.
By monitoring your traffic sources, you can identify situations where your ads show in unexpected places and prevent them from draining your budget and harming campaign performance.
How Advertisers Can Prevent Click Fraud
Follow these tips to detect and prevent click fraud from damaging your online campaigns.
Use Analytics Tools
Analytics tools like Google Analytics are usually available within the advertising platform or website hosting, and they are a powerful ally against click fraud.
They show your traffic patterns, the geographical origin of every click, and every relevant rate, such as bounce and conversion.
The data provided helps you pinpoint potential issues and take corrective actions, like blocking suspicious IP addresses.
Invest in Third-Party Click Fraud Detection Tools
Built-in tools are a good starting point, but if you want more advanced and precise solutions to stop fake clicks on your ads, consider investing in specialized click fraud protection software.
Reports suggest that using third-party click fraud detection tools can generate a 19% increase in impressions and a 15% increase in CTR.
Fraud detection tools like Spider AF offer more advanced features that help you detect and block click fraud quickly.
They offer deeper protection using more sophisticated methods, such as machine learning-based algorithms, proactive protection, and detailed reports with all the important information about your click activity.
Perform Manual Monitoring
Do not underestimate the importance of seeing everything with your own eyes.
Regularly reviewing your campaign data is a complementary approach that allows you to track your key metrics and look for inconsistencies or anomalies.
It also gives you the opportunity to compare benchmarks by researching the average CTRs for your industry and comparing them to your data.
Use Multiple Layers of Defense
By combining analytics tools and click fraud detection solutions, you create a powerful shield against fraudulent activity.
Analytics tools provide an overview of your campaigns’ performance, allowing you to detect potential issues.
Then, advanced tools like Spider AF can analyze in greater detail suspicious activity and offer real-time click fraud prevention.
Stay Informed
Staying ahead of the curve is the best thing you can do for your campaigns.
Click fraudsters are constantly innovating, so staying informed about their latest tactics keeps you in the loop and helps you protect your ads.
There are several ways to stay informed about this topic:
- Subscribe to reputable online publications about digital marketing;
- Attend industry conferences and webinars about click fraud;
- Join online communities or forums for digital marketers.
Spider AF provides educational resources about click fraud. You can find these articles on the website, where you can read about everything from the basics to tips that teach you how to identify click fraud.
How Spider AF Can Help Protect Against Click Fraud
Spider AF is your best solution to win against fraudsters who try to drain your budget. We have helped several companies and marketers detect and block fake clicks, saving thousands of dollars.
Our tools combine essential features that effectively help you recover your ROI quickly.
Advanced Detection Algorithms
At Spider AF, we use ever-evolving machine learning algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data.
Our algorithms learn and predict behaviors commonly associated with fraudulent activity, offering you refined click fraud protection.
Through a combination of machine learning and behavioral analysis, we detect and block fraudsters, including sophisticated bots that mimic human behavior.
This adaptive approach facilitates the detection of patterns of fraud and emerging threats that simple scripting tools may not catch.
Real-Time Monitoring
Monitoring fraudulent activity in real-time is a valuable weapon because it allows you to detect and block fake clicks faster, minimizing your losses.
Using a Javascript tag to capture device and session signals from users, Spider AF tools immediately detect and block users that generate fake clicks.
By being proactive, we help you detect early warning signs, like subtle changes in click patterns, allowing you to make informed decisions about your campaigns supported by accurate data.
After detection, we use our real-time blocking feature to prevent suspicious clicks from entering your database.
Detailed Reporting
With our reporting tools, you get detailed reporting on the performance of your campaigns. You can see exactly how your campaigns perform, giving you valuable insights to optimize your advertising efforts.
Spider AF’s dashboard provides a section dedicated to ad network breakdowns, updated in nearly real-time. You can see the most important metrics you should track to identify click fraud.
You can also find insights in each dashboard section and download them to analyze or share with your team. Additionally, our Customer Success team usually sends reports, and you can set up a meeting with the team and clarify any doubts about the results provided.
Case Study:
Fraudulent Click Rate Cut by 62% on Google Search Campaigns
Let’s look at a practical example of the efficiency of Spider AF’s tools.
Wilson PC is a personal injury law firm working with the advertiser Double Up Marketing Group, a strategic growth partner focused on driving revenue and performance through SEO & PPC digital marketing.
According to the advertising agency, Wilson PC was facing a high volume of fraudulent clicks and irrelevant form fills at the time, especially from Performance Max campaigns.
Because personal injury keywords are especially expensive, going at $350 per click, it was paramount to tackle the impact of fake clicks and prevent enormous financial losses.
After partnering with Double Up Marketing Group, Spider AF helped Wilson PC save an astounding $47,963 in ad spend - with around $10K just in the first month - and reduce their invalid click rate from 7.91% to 2.97%.
Final Note
Click fraud is a serious threat that can drain your ad budget and inflate your campaign metrics.
By understanding the signs and taking proactive measures, like tracking click patterns and acquiring click fraud protection software, you can significantly reduce its impact and maximize your ROI.
Considering a Powerful Click Fraud Prevention Solution?
Spider AF offers advanced tools and real-time monitoring to help you safeguard your campaigns and recover lost revenue.
