Google's Take on Click Fraud

Getting big bills from AdWords, or other Pay-per-click services, but not getting the sales? You could be the victim of click fraud!

(PRWEB) October 24, 2004 -- If you use Google AdWords, Overture, or other pay-per-click companies to generate web traffic, be warned. You could be the victim of a click fraud scam!

How does Google respond to someone who suspects click fraud? Monik Robichaud, a Biogram and Stretch Letter Puzzle Publisher, http://www.lulu.com/quotagrams recently found out. She was billed $65.00 for AdWords clicks and didn't receive a single order.

Monik e-mailed Google asking whether any of the charges could have resulted from click fraud. Here's what Google had to say.

"Google's proprietary technology analyzes clicks to determine whether they fit a pattern of fraudulent use intended to artificially drive up an advertiser's clicks or a publisher's earnings. Our system automatically distinguishes between clicks generated through normal use by users and clicks generated by unethical users and automated robots, enabling us to filter out fraudulent clicks. Advertisers are not charged for these clicks.

In addition to our automated system, we have a team dedicated to detecting invalid clicks using several specialized tools and a wide variety of techniques based on extensive experience tracking and monitoring fraudulent behavior and analyzing click fraud scenarios. We continually upgrade our detection mechanisms to proactively combat fraudulent clicks."

Google added that people concerned about click fraud, should add tracking URL's.

Although Google will credit you for charges resulting from click fraud, proving click fraud beyond what the systems in place at Google already look for requires some work.

If you suspect click fraud, go through your server's log files and look for multiple "hits" or entries from the same IP Addresses. Also, embed tracking URL's to prove when clicks are coming from Google, or your pay-per-click vendor.

If you suspect fraud, report it, and provide any information that will prove it to your pay-per-click vendor.

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