Announcing your site’s presence on the net with the aid  of pay per click advertising is one of the most effective ways for businesses  to find customers online. But the cloud cast by click fraud doesn’t need to be  a blot on the horizon says Daniel Jupp…

A seductive  cocktail of flexibility, easily controlled costs and precision targeting has  pay per click advertisers flocking to Google and Yahoo in their droves. Unsurprising  given that 80% of all internet users pass through at least one search page  before arriving at their desired destination.              

Billed as the best  way to connect with customers at exactly the moment they’re searching for goods  and services, pay per click is a potent weapon in the online marketplace. With  such rich rewards ratcheting up the competition between rival companies, the  possibility of click fraud; where individuals click on your ad not out of  interest but simply to make you pay for the click, is growing almost as quickly  as the popularity of its host.

A study released  this week by specialist firm Click Forensics found the rate of fraudulent  clicks on search-related online ads rose 14.1 percent last quarter, up from  13.7 percent at the beginning of the year.

Both Google and  Yahoo claim this figure is widely exaggerated, citing sophisticated filters  capable of weeding out suspect clicks and industry wide efforts to create  comprehensive lists of known robots being used to click repeatedly on adverts.  Recent court cases have also resulted in advertisers receiving advertising credits  for clicks shown to be fraudulent.                      

As yet there are no  cast-iron industry standards to tackle click fraud so the best way to protect  your web site is to be vigilant…
                             

1. Look for  patterns in PCC log data

If you see clicks  from the same IP address using the same keyword in quick succession you can be  pretty sure they’re a result of click fraud. Top Position uses this information  to report to the service provider and secure a refund.                             

2. Spread the risk 

Top Position can  use the daily budgeting features of Google and Yahoo Search Marketing to spread  your appearances and pay per click (PCC) budget throughout the day. This helps  prevent a concerted attack on your AdWords expenditure over a short space of  time.              

3. Look at conversion rates

If you’re receiving  a large number of hits but very low conversion on your site, it could be an  indicator that click fraud is a problem. On the other hand, it could also show  that your site is very poor at selling… but it will still be monitored by your  pay per click (PPC) account manager.

4. Use analysis  software 

Website traffic  analysis software can help identify what visitors are doing when they arrive at  your site. If the software indicates that a large number of visitors are  arriving at the home page, not going anywhere else and leaving the site very  quickly, this is a good indicator that click fraud is taking place. 

One of the most  effective ways Top Position tackles click fraud is to determine which web sites  you do and do not wish to be seen on. Google automatically displays your  AdWords advert on other partner sites such as ASK. If we determine that the  quality of traffic from content web sites is not beneficial to your AdWords  campaign, we will remove your pay per click (PPC) advert from content  networking.

About Daniel Jupp: Daniel is the founder  and managing director of leading pay per click management consultancy, Top  Position www.topposition.co.uk. Top Position offers Google AdWords and Yahoo Search Marketing account  management, specialising in reducing costs by as much as 40% while increasing  internet visibility and optimizing account performance. To find out more: Ask For A Quote