PPC advertisers often overlook invalid traffic in their quest to increase conversions. This is also known as IVT, fake traffic or click fraud.
The IVT column is an option in Google Analytics. However, it is not displayed by default. You've probably also read the policies of Facebook and Google on invalid traffic if you've ever searched online for it.
IVT is very common. In fact, more than ten percent of all digital ad-traffic is invalid.
Marketers assume that tech giants control IVT. Are they? How much of the actual invalid traffic makes it to your paid ads?
Digital Advertising: The Challenges
Although pay-per click advertising is an important element of digital marketing, it has suffered a reputational blow in recent years.
Marketers have seen CPC rise, increased competition, and less-than-accurate tracking. They even realized that they are paying for traffic that does not drive results.
Consumer groups are also fighting for greater privacy and control of our personal data.
What does this mean for the average marketer?
Let's start with some statistics.
40% to 60% of all internet traffic comes from non-human sources. This includes bots, web crawlers and other automated scripts. Despite this wide range, it is reasonable to assume that approximately half of all web traffic comes from non-humans.
Bad bot traffic is estimated to outnumber good bots by 25%. Bad bots include spam bots and scalpers as well as data harvesters. They can also be used to hack into logins or commit ad fraud.
Marketers are also experiencing a change in their targeting and tracking capabilities as Google and Facebook adapt the data laws around the globe.
Marketers will be overwhelmed by the combination of increased fake traffic and reduced targeting and analytics.
However, Facebook and Google have put an end to this.
The Fight Against Fake Traffic
The cost of click fraud, ad fraud, and fraud in advertising was $42 billion by 2021.
Tech giants claim that their invalid traffic filters eliminate bad clicks and bots.
These IVT rates in Google Analytics may be encouraging.
Google Analytics is used by most marketers to see IVT rates in the single digits, between 2 and 8 percent.
ClickCease data shows that 14 percent of clicks for paid ads are from non-genuine sources. Click fraud is a term used to describe click fraud. Click fraud is a problem in some industries, where invalid clicks account for 60% of traffic.
Why is this discrepancy? The big ad platforms surely would not want to stop fake traffic.
It's complex, but it is true.
One hand, yes. Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Facebook do want to stop fake traffic and protect advertisers. Advertising revenue is the largest source of income for all these companies.
They are less strict than third party click fraud solutions, however, their methods of filtering invalid traffic are still considered to be more reliable.
Click fraudsters and ad fraud operatives often hide their location to avoid filters. Most ad platforms block traffic sources based on IP addresses. Bots and click-farms can use a VPN to cycle through multiple IP addresses in order to click repeatedly, without being blocked.
The click thresholds for ad platforms are believed to be higher than those used by third-party fraud blocksers.
The issue of money is another concern for the more pessimistic.
Fake clicks can still be a source for income for ad platforms. For many advertisers, the metric that they are looking for (beyond conversions) is a good Click Through Rate.
You would think that more clicks and impressions equals more reach and a better job.
The ad giants believe that as long as advertisers see what is being done then click fraud can be defeated.
Yes, that was my cynical view.
Click Fraud Blocking Helps You Protect Your Advertising Spend
A third-party solution can be used to block invalid traffic. This is the best way to stop bots, automated clicks and malicious traffic, such as brand haters or competitors.
Click fraud prevention is a powerful tool for search marketers.
Fake traffic can cost you more than lost budget.
Businesses with a small ad budget may find that their monthly or daily ad spend is exhausted before they need it. The missed opportunities that they missed will be lost if their ads are not in service.
Misattribution of success is a problem for those who have a larger advertising budget.
How do you know if clicks and impressions have resulted in conversions It's becoming more difficult.
ClickCease is more than a tool that blocks bad traffic and flags suspicious activity. ClickCease also provides additional analytics that marketers can use in order to analyze their audience, something which becomes more important as tracking changes are made.
Advertisers can adjust their targeting by analyzing which search terms bring in the most invalid traffic or how many VPN and out-of-geo visits your ads receive.
This applies to search ads and display ads on Google and Bing Ads as well as social media ads like Facebook and Instagram.
Marketers who want to stay ahead of the trends should look at how click fraud blocking can make a difference in their campaign results.
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By: Neil Patel
Title: Click Fraud Blocking: Your Search Ads Secret Weapon?
Sourced From: neilpatel.com/blog/tools-for-click-fraud/
Published Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2022 22:04:00 +0000
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By: Peter
Title: Click Fraud Blocking: Your Search Ads Secret Weapon?
Sourced From: internetlib.org/click-fraud-blocking-your-search-ads-secret-weapon/
Published Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2022 00:14:23 +0000
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