Click fraud is still on the rise, according to new figures for the first quarter of 2007 from Click Forensics.
The numbers, gathered from more than 3,500 online advertisers and their agencies, show a rise to 14.8% from the 14.2% click fraud rate reported for Q4 2006.
Other findings included:
- The overall industry average click fraud rate was 14.8% for Q1 2007 compared to 13.7% for the same quarter in 2006.
- The rate was 14.2% for Q4 of 2006, 13.8% for Q3, and 14.1% for Q2.
- The average click fraud rate for PPC ads on search engines was 21.9%, compared with 19.2% for the last quarter of 2006.
- The average click fraud rate for high-priced search terms (those that cost over $2) was 22.2%, compared to 20.9% in Q4 2006, 20.9% in Q3 2006 and 20.2% in Q2 2006.
Google has previously criticised the methods used by Click Forensics to get its figures, and claims that the actual click fraud rate is less than 2% of all clicks.
Graham Charlton is Editor at Econsultancy. Follow him on Twitter or connect via Linkedin or Google+.
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Research Director at Econsultancy
12:05PM on 20th April 2007
Click fraud is certainly an important issue although it is interesting that it wasn't raised by many respondents in the recent published E-consultancy / Neutralize UK Search Engine Marketing Report (based on a survey of more than 700 internet marketers).
http://www.e-consultancy.com/publications/search-engine-marketing-report-2007
Only a handful of people volunteered click fraud as a main factor affecting their ROI from search.
Having said that, some 27% of company respondents said that they were planning to use click fraud audit services offered by agencies.
It clearly does affect some companies but, for most businesses, is this perceived to be more of an issue than it actually is?