Click fraud is a type of that occurs in PPC 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 a charge per click without having actual interest in the target of the ad's link. Click fraud can be committed by a competitor to deplete advertiser’s budget or to raise money for website (publisher) hosting the ad.
The IP address filters of PPC Advertising Servers protect advertisers from multiple clicks from a single IP address on a single day. More sophisticated crime networks and click farms have evolved that generate fake IP addresses, confusing the security filters.
Monitoring your keyword performance and conversions is important. Sudden increases in total clicks and an abnormal decline in conversion rate could indicate click fraud. Examine where clicks are coming from — is there an abnormal volume of clicks coming from the same IP address? If you notice a significant increase in bounce rate from a large number of visitors clicking through your PPC ads and leaving your site in a matter of seconds, this could be an indication of click fraud. Are there larger than normal number of clicks coming from countries outside your normal market area?
Ananya’s Gold package includes detection of click fraud, thus preventing your ad budget from being wasted.
It is estimated that click fraud affects 10 percent to 20 percent of today's search network ads. Most advertisers are aware of the click-fraud issue but have not delved into it because of the technical complexities involved
