|
Article Directory
|
+ Authors
+ Articles
|
|
|
|
Click Fraud: Defining the Context of a Problem (Part 1)
Copyright (c) 2006-2012 Jim Hedger, All Rights Reserved
Everyone involved in search marketing considers Click Fraud a problem issue though to what degree problems exist depends on who is looking at the issues. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) search advertising is the golden goose that makes the major engines financially viable but the success of the PPC model, mixed with the nature of the 'net can make PPC advertising a double-edged sword for advertisers.
This is the first piece in an ongoing series on Click Fraud we will be running in SiteProNews and SEO-News. Many in the search marketing and search advertising industries would prefer the issue be avoided altogether. Paid search advertising has grown to become a rapidly expanding multi-billion dollar industry, much of it based on the success of PPC.
According to a recent study, "US Online Advertising Forecast, 2005 to 2011" (http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2006/07/24/ online_advertising_to_reach_nine_percent_of_total_ad_spend_by_2011/), by JupiterResearch, $6.5-billion will be spent on search advertising in 2006, a figure that is projected to jump to $11-billion over the next five years. Click Fraud, which is estimated to range from 5% - 15% of PPC traffic (some estimates are as high as 20% - 35%) could therefore be a factor in $350-million to $975-million worth of click-transactions. There is a lot of money involved in PPC and the tremendous weight of financial interest lurks somewhere behind virtually any discussion of the issue, especially a discussion about Click Fraud.
The share values of giants such as Google, and to a lesser degree, Yahoo!, Time Warner, AOL, IAC and MSN rely on advertiser confidence in paid search advertising. A massive amount of search marketing spam is created to generate high PPC payouts, which are shared between the search engines and web publishers. There are a number of legitimate SEM agencies turning a tidy profit by charging a percentage of the monthly or annual ad-spend of their clients. With so much money at stake, it's little wonder the biggest players in the search engine and search marketing industries would want to keep the issue under wraps.
This series is going to explore issues associated with Click Fraud from several angles, starting with an attempt to define the issue from a few different points of view. In subsequent articles we will focus on motives and opportunities, technologies and techniques, detection and deception, and alternative search based advertising methods outside the realm of PPC. We expect to touch on a number of other points, many of which will overlap from article to article, during the development of the series.
A good place to start would be an attempt at defining what, exactly, constitutes Click Fraud. In this case, the breadth of the beast is measured in the eye of the beholder.
The Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invalid_click) offers the best definition saying, "Click fraud occurs in pay per click online advertising when a person, automated script, or computer program imitates a legitimate user of a web browser clicking on an ad, for the purpose of generating an improper charge per click. Click fraud is the subject of some controversy and increasing litigation due to the advertising networks being a key beneficiary of the fraud whether they like it or not."
Of the search engines themselves, Google provides the simplest, most direct definition. Yahoo! offers a 13-point FAQ that fails to actually provide an exact definition. MSN and Ask also provide fairly good descriptions of the issue and remedies for advertisers. None of the major PPC providers offer advertisers an indication of how complicated click fraud analysis can be.
Google's Definition
Google doesn't like to use the term Click Fraud, preferring a phrase that conveys far fewer implications, "invalid clicks".
According to the Google AdWords Learning Center (http://www.google.com/adwords/learningcenter/text/19457.html), "Invalid clicks are clicks generated by prohibited methods. Examples of invalid clicks may include repeated manual clicking or the use of robots, automated clicking tools, or other deceptive software. Invalid clicks are sometimes intended to artificially and/or maliciously drive up an advertiser's clicks and or a publisher's earnings."
Google provides instruction on how to deal with and report suspicions of click fraud and outlines how to initiate an investigation.
Yahoo!'s Definition
Yahoo! doesn't mind using the phrase Click Fraud. A prominent text-link on the front page of the Yahoo! Search Marketing site leads to the Y!SM Click Fraud FAQ (http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/legal/clickfraud.php) page.
On it, Yahoo! says, "Click fraud is generally considered to be clicks made with bad faith with the sole purpose of generating a charge to the advertiser with zero possibility of a legitimate site visit or transaction occurring. We agree." No clear definition of Click Fraud is provided, aside from Yahoo!'s agreement with a general statement describing it. Apparently, defining click fraud is complicated.
The FAQ suggests it is difficult to judge the purpose of clicks through its network because it is technically impossible to read people's minds. (Ed. note: We agree.) Instead, it is forced to fall back on analysing click behaviour, spotting identifiable patterns in click traffic, trying to define the faith of each click. Yahoo!'s FAQ continues, saying, "In terms of identifiable behavior, we define click fraud as detected illegitimate bots and certain repetitive clicks."
The next paragraph on the FAQ page should be of concern to advertisers. It introduces the phrase, "Traffic Quality Clicks", a phrase describing all clicks that are not generated by (identifiable) click fraud. This includes, "... clicks from domestic and international users and clicks from our various distribution channels and products." A small but scary number of Yahoo!'s distribution channels and products have been linked to malware, spyware and click-bot networks, as a coming article in this series will examine. Come to think of it, someone at Yahoo! needs to take a look at that FAQ page immediately, we're going to and we thing Y!SM marketers should as well.
Microsoft's Definition
MSN, which broke into the PPC market later than its rivals did, shares Google's aversion to the phrase "Click Fraud", agreeing to refer to the problem of "Invalid Clicks" (http://advertising.msn.com/microsoft-adcenter/faqs/invalid-clicks). An FAQ entry offers a short and direct definition of what they consider an Invalid Click saying, "An invalid click is a type of non-billable click resulting from user error, malicious activity or other factors potentially indicative of fraudulent activity."
In a subsequent statement, MSN acknowledges invalid click activity will occur saying, "Any unexplained changes in click activity should be reviewed for validity." The FAQ section goes on to explain how to monitor and appeal click charges.
Ask's Definition
Ask's new Sponsored Listing PPC considers Click Fraud to be an industry problem. Ask's Traffic Quality page (http://sponsoredlistings.ask.com/trafficquality.php) opens with the headline, "We protect you against click fraud."
Ask suggests, "Valid clicks are clicks on a listing that are generated by humans, whose intent we judge to be to engage the advertiser's site (such as to make a purchase, register for services, or navigate content.). Invalid clicks are clicks generated by robots, systems or software whose intent we judge not to be to engage the advertiser's site."
The rest of the page goes into great detail describing how Ask identifies invalid click behavior, mentioning several factors it uses to assess the validity of each click.
Industry Analysts
In a March 26, 2006 iMediaConnection (http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/8830.asp) article analyzing Google's settlement of a major click fraud case called Lane's Gifts v. Google, Clickfacts (http://www.clickfacts.com) cofounder, Michael Caruso provides a well rounded description,
"With pay-per-click ads that show up next to search results, the more times an ad is clicked, the more the advertiser pays. With contextual ads, where ads are placed on third-party websites, pay-per-click ad revenue is split between the publisher and the search company, such as Google.
Sometimes publishers click their own sites to get more revenue from the search engines. Webmasters sometimes form partnerships to click on each other's advertisements. Sometimes people click on their competition's ads, just to drive up their costs. CNET reported, "...the chief executive of an internet marketing company, enjoys clicking on his rivals' text ads ... his competitor must pay as much as $15 each time." There is also bot-like software all over the internet through anonymous "proxy" servers scattered in far-flung locales, creating the illusion that visitors are logging on from all over the place, masking the traffic's true origin.
Then there are even software companies with names like Fakezilla that sell traffic simulators online intended to make sites appear popular and thus boost ranking on search engine pages. They are also used for click fraud."
Six definitive acknowledgements of invalid click activity later, we can all agree that click fraud is a very complicated and very real problem. Stay tuned as we explore it.
Follow "The Phantom Writers" on Twitter
(@phantomwriters)
to be notified when new articles are made available.
VOTE ON THIS ARTICLE
Needs Work >>
0 -
1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5
<< Excellent Article
Tell our authors what you think about their article.
|
Top-Level Category: Business Online Articles
10 Most Recent Articles Written by Jim Hedger
Two Sides of the Sandbox - Getting Stuck and Unstuck on Google
Written by: Jim Hedger |
Distributed: 2006-10-11 |
Word Count: 1438 |
Page Views: 1266
| Votes: 6 |
Rating: 2.50
The mysterious "Google Sandbox" has been a hot discussion topic
for search engine optimizers since the phenomena was first noted
and named in late April 2004. Since then, ideas on the function,
scope and even existence of the sandbox have been a mainstay in
SEO and Google related forums, chats and articles.
Search Marketing and Social Media
Written by: Jim Hedger |
Distributed: 2006-09-29 |
Word Count: 1208 |
Page Views: 1163
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 2.71
The phrase Social Media Optimization, (SMO), has quickly become
an industry buzzword in search marketing circles. The term refers
to the practice of crafting, altering or augmenting profiles,
images, movies and other files to be easily found and well shared
in social media applications such as 43Things.com, MySpace,
Tribe.net or Flickr, and by interested parties throughout the
blogosphere.
Video Raised the Internet Bar
Written by: Jim Hedger |
Distributed: 2006-09-08 |
Word Count: 1679 |
Page Views: 1363
| Votes: 6 |
Rating: 2.83
After the short wave of annoyance passed, I decided to put my
powers of search to the test and venture forth to find and
replace my errant sound driver. It didn't take very long to
decide that was a bad idea disguised as a good one. Ten minutes
of extreme frustration surfing around the site of the company
that made my sound card led me to Google in the vain hopes I
could find another repository of arcane drivers.
All of Author's Articles on this site: Jim Hedger Articles
Most Recent "Business Online" Articles
Sell Yourself, Not Your Products or Services
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2012-01-02 |
Word Count: 989 |
Page Views: 2316
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.00
Sell yourself, not your products or services. The point we
need to make is that your products and services will change
over time as your business adapts to the realities of the
marketplace.
Work From Home - Make Money Online With EBay Store
Written by: David Miller |
Distributed: 2011-12-12 |
Word Count: 2105 |
Page Views: 149
Find out how to present your items, as well as other key factors
to profit from your eBay Store.
Bring Your Photography To Life With Stunning Video
Written by: Adam Harding |
Distributed: 2011-12-12 |
Word Count: 684 |
Page Views: 187
I want to let you in on my little secret. It is about how I bring
photographs to life by creating professional video slideshows
that look like they cost hundreds of dollars.
Leveraging the Social in Social Media
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-21 |
Word Count: 907 |
Page Views: 207
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 1.00
Social media marketing is about the conversation, not the
pitch. Having conversations with people is nice, but the
goal of a brand is ultimately to get people interested in
spending their time or money on the brand, after all. What
does having this conversation accomplish, and just how does
a brand use that conversation to get the critical conversion
from conversation to customers?
Blog Writing - Finding the Right Person
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-21 |
Word Count: 884 |
Page Views: 355
There are a host of articles and sites covering advice on
how to address various topics, but one area that doesn't
get a lot of attention is what "person" to write the blog
in. Each linguistic person has its own strengths and
weaknesses, depending on the message that needs to be
covered. Ultimately, most will simply write in whatever
person is most natural to them, but there is some merit in
taking a bit of time to think about the implications,
advantages and disadvantages of each.
That First Impression: Title Considerations
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-19 |
Word Count: 860 |
Page Views: 196
While it certainly isn't as much work as crafting the body
of a superior article, selecting a title for a piece is
definitely an important element of the entire process of
content creation. Here are some thoughts on crafting a
perfect title.
5 Tips For Writing Great Content For Your Blog
Written by: Lee Dobbins |
Distributed: 2011-09-16 |
Word Count: 987 |
Page Views: 202
If you want people to come back to your blog over and over
again, then you need to provide great web content. This may
seem like an impossible task if you aren’t a natural born
writer. Here are 5 tips that will help even the least
experienced writer create blog content that will entice even
first time visitors to become frequent readers.
Understanding Cloud Computing for SMBs
Written by: Audre Hill |
Distributed: 2011-09-16 |
Word Count: 449 |
Page Views: 306
| Votes: 2 |
Rating: 5.00
The buzz about cloud migration, or taking your business to the
cloud, is all over the internet. But the geek speak and sales
hype make understanding the cloud difficult for small and
mid-sized business owners. Read this to clear up your cloud
confusion.
Dynamic Content: Using Analytics to Write Your Blog
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-16 |
Word Count: 873 |
Page Views: 249
The role of web analytics in setting useful metrics for a
site has been discussed in-depth in any number of places,
but this is far from the only useful function that web
analytic practices can offer. As in any field, a little
thinking outside the box can offer extensive rewards to the
creative researcher. Perhaps most usefully, creative
cultivation of web analytics can help conquer blogger's
block and help a good writer come up with some unique angles
for content they thought they had peaked out on.
Social Media Marketing Tools – Putting Your Finger on the Pulse of the Web
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-14 |
Word Count: 856 |
Page Views: 196
Social media marketing is the home of successful brand
promotion, and finding the right mix of tools to take
advantage of it has become the defining issue of the modern
brand. Knowing the focus of each of these tools and the best
way to use them is the key to bringing all this power under
control and using it to help promote a brand to its full
potential.
Most Viewed "Business Online" Articles
Attracting Readers to your Book
Written by: Alastair Hall |
Distributed: 2006-05-18 |
Word Count: 708 |
Page Views: 42391
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 2.11
One of the common and obvious ways to market a self-published
book is having your own website. The harder part is how to
attract your target audience and then convert the sale.
How To Make Visitors Bookmark Your Site
Written by: Cheryl Miller |
Distributed: 2006-10-10 |
Word Count: 536 |
Page Views: 34669
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 2.38
When visitors bookmark your site it is a sign that you have built
a great website and are pleasing them. Visitors think highly
enough of your site to want to return and possibly tell others
about it. You are not only increasing traffic from your existing
clientele you are encouraging new traffic by means of viral
marketing.
Treat Online 'Guests' With Respect
Written by: Rick Sloboda |
Distributed: 2007-07-27 |
Word Count: 472 |
Page Views: 27047
| Votes: 25 |
Rating: 3.76
Does your website show your customers lack of respect? Review the
following checklist to find out.
How I Got 70,000 Useless Visitors To My Site In One Day! (One Internet Marketer's Analysis of Social Bookmark Traffic)
Written by: Titus Hoskins |
Distributed: 2007-11-06 |
Word Count: 1545 |
Page Views: 23599
| Votes: 8 |
Rating: 2.13
Is social bookmark traffic useless? Is it even worth cultivating
for your site? Can it be used from an online marketing
perspective? Read to discover one Internet Marketer's analysis
of social bookmark/media traffic...
Successful Article Marketers Help Readers Solve Problems
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2008-10-29 |
Word Count: 816 |
Page Views: 18666
| Votes: 23 |
Rating: 3.26
Every week, I have the opportunity to speak with people about the
benefits and challenges of using article marketing to promote an
online business. Article marketing is about getting your sales
message in front of potential customers and to get links to your
website. Many interpret this to mean that an article should
directly promote a website within the article, but that approach
is wrong and will reduce one's success using this methodology.
Tips For Building Your First Website
Written by: Benny Tsabba |
Distributed: 2007-05-30 |
Word Count: 1511 |
Page Views: 13993
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 2.00
New people are coming online everyday. And many of those people
desire to turn their spare time into spare cash. So begins their
journey.
Successful Forum JVs and How To Get Them
Written by: Diana Barnum |
Distributed: 2006-06-15 |
Word Count: 648 |
Page Views: 6319
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 2.18
The forming of common alliances, also referred to as a joint
venture (JV), happens nearly every day in the business world.
One of the most popular means of linking people up online of so
that they can work together on their projects is via forums,
where people of all levels of business and expertise post in
common threads.
Increasing Productivity In Your Online Business
Written by: Willie Crawford |
Distributed: 2006-06-14 |
Word Count: 1407 |
Page Views: 4210
| Votes: 32 |
Rating: 3.72
Running an online "empire" of approximately 1600 websites and
blogs, selling a variety of products, services and ideas, I
have to be much more productive than the average person in a
"regular job."
Who Else Wants to Know How-To Write an Effective Advertisement?
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2011-08-25 |
Word Count: 1431 |
Page Views: 4130
| Votes: 22 |
Rating: 2.59
Webmasters struggle everyday with the question of how they should
advertise their website. There are so many advertising venues; it
is hard to know which is the right venue or the right combination
of advertising venues.
A New Home Business
Written by: Angela Recchia |
Distributed: 2006-09-08 |
Word Count: 319 |
Page Views: 4026
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 2.57
When joining a new affiliate program, many people do not know
where to go next. They join thinking that's all that is needed
without a plan of action. What is needed is promotion of your
program and getting others to join you. If you are motivated and
have the drive and knowledge to get you started. Then you are on
your way.
Highest Ranked "Business Online" Articles
What Kind Of Backlinks Are Best At Helping Your Website In Google?
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2009-11-09 |
Word Count: 439 |
Page Views: 1633
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.80
I was in the Warrior Forum, and someone asked what kinds of
Backlinks are worth pursuing. This is my answer to that
query.
Making Money with High Paying Adsense Keywords
Written by: Blake Evans |
Distributed: 2008-12-18 |
Word Count: 536 |
Page Views: 1405
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.20
Google was ingenious when they came up with Adsense. Not only do
they get an opportunity to make additional money from their
search engines, but they also allow Internet marketers a chance
to make money in an easier manner. Why is this so? Well, with
traditional affiliate marketing, you must make a sale before you
receive commission. But with Adsense, all you have to do is
create content that will produce ads that readers will click on.
Why Is The Wellness Industry So Popular?
Written by: Michelle Penfold |
Distributed: 2009-03-12 |
Word Count: 407 |
Page Views: 3176
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.20
There is a lot of money to be made in the wellness industry. The
field is large but there are many niche markets within it. The
health supplement industry is one of the most popular niches.
Health supplement juices and products abound. What is the reason
that people are so interested in this niche?
How to Keep Your Article Content Fresh and Interesting
Written by: Craig Ritsema |
Distributed: 2006-08-29 |
Word Count: 699 |
Page Views: 1997
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 4.18
Webmasters everywhere are constantly on the lookout for fresh and
interesting content for their website. Along with these content
qualities is the requirement that it be unique. Everyone wants
their website to stand out above the others in the search engine
results. So what is the trick for you to keep a steady supply of
this quality content coming your way?
Is Your Business 'Out Of Site'? Employ The Ultimate Marketing Tool
Written by: Rick Sloboda |
Distributed: 2007-01-09 |
Word Count: 445 |
Page Views: 2052
| Votes: 19 |
Rating: 4.16
With the rapid expansion of the digital economy, the web site is
conceivably the most powerful marketing and sales tool you can employ.
Find out what a web site can do for you.
How To Use Your Race To Get Rich
Written by: Herbert Harris |
Distributed: 2009-07-07 |
Word Count: 1407 |
Page Views: 2396
| Votes: 40 |
Rating: 4.05
Amid recent news reports that there continues to be an ongoing
and substantial gap between the net worth of Whites and other
racial groups, it is easy to be distracted and overwhelmed by the
raw data. However, I am immediately reminded of a quote offered
by an economic expert from the past... "There are lies, damned
lies, and statistics!"
Secrets of Domain Parking - An Innovative and Easier Way to Make Money
Written by: John Khu |
Distributed: 2009-02-27 |
Word Count: 484 |
Page Views: 1211
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 4.00
Using a good domain parking services to monetize expired domain
names seems to be a neglected aspect with a number of domain
names traders. Domain parking is also an unfamiliar concept to
many inexperienced domain name traders. Read this article to
better understand domain parking and how it can be of benefit to
you.
Expired Domain Gains - Simple Ideas to Create an Income Base
Written by: John Khu |
Distributed: 2009-07-31 |
Word Count: 549 |
Page Views: 3072
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 4.00
You can use a number of simple methods and plans to create a
solid income base that earns a monthly ongoing income base.
For many expired domain entrepreneurs (both full-time and
part time), expired domains offer an opportunity to
supplement their current income with money earned out of
dealing with expired domains.
Sell Yourself, Not Your Products or Services
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2012-01-02 |
Word Count: 989 |
Page Views: 2316
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.00
Sell yourself, not your products or services. The point we
need to make is that your products and services will change
over time as your business adapts to the realities of the
marketplace.
The Most Important Ingredient for Info Product Success (is You)
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2008-04-15 |
Word Count: 981 |
Page Views: 1278
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 3.92
Last week I was attending a conference and mentioned to someone I
help small business owners create information products. The other
person was very friendly until I said "information products."
Then the temperature in the room dropped about 10-degrees
|
|
|
Article Reprint Rights
|
This work is
licensed under a
Creative Commons
License
You are not required to show the creative commons license notice when you reprint this work.
|
|
Article Statistics
|
Word Count: 1426
Total Views: 3612
Views This Month: 2
Views Last Month: 29
Article Rating: 2.55 of 5
Votes Cast: 11
Author Overall Stats:
Times Viewed Overall: 7407
Author Rating: 2.65 of 5
Votes Cast Overall: 37
More Articles By Author:
Articles On This Website
Article Title Search:
Widow Search
Right Blinker
Google
Yahoo!
Zuula
Bing
Cuil
Last Distribution Date:
2006-10-12 16:12:00
|
|
|
Home
for Writers
for Publishers
Article Directory
Article Search
Contact
Get RSS Feed
