Click Fraud Strategy for Paid Search

Chapter 9 of Paid Search Optimisation

Click fraud, or fraudulent traffic, has the potential to disrupt reporting for paid search. Search engines have measures for tackling it, but advertisers should develop their own preventative strategy. This chapter explores how to protect against click fraud so as not to interfere with the data that is needed for optimisation.

12 minute read

Click fraud describes clicks that are generated with malicious intent, and while search engines are investing in identifying and eliminating fraudulent traffic, advertisers should maintain awareness of the threat it poses. This chapter covers:

How it works: What are the different types of click fraud and possible sources, and what risks do they present to the business?
Prevention: The major search engines have prevention measures in place, but the onus is on advertisers to take their own steps to combat click fraud. What approach works best?
Due diligence: What should advertisers check for when investigating anomalous performance before submitting a click fraud complaint to the search engine?