At StubGroup, a leading digital advertising agency honored as a Premier Google Partner, we’ve achieved an exceptional breakthrough in countering click fraud for one of our clients who operates Google Search campaigns. What makes our strategy unique is its reliance on direct modifications within Google Ads, bypassing third-party fraud detection systems and yielding remarkable outcomes.
Understanding Click Fraud
To begin, let’s define click fraud. Click fraud occurs when advertisers are charged for clicks that do not originate from genuine users interacting with their ads. This includes clicks generated by bots, competitors attempting to inflate ad costs, and invalid clicks, which Google characterizes as accidental or repetitive clicks without meaningful interactions.
Click fraud is a persistent challenge in the digital advertising landscape. A study by Juniper Research estimates that in 2023, advertisers could face costs of around $84 billion due to fraudulent clicks. For businesses working to attain a specific return on ad spend or cost per lead, these fraudulent clicks can significantly impede the efficacy of their campaigns.
Who Fights Click Fraud?
Who are the key players involved in combating click fraud? The platforms themselves, such as Google, serve as the primary line of defense. They employ robust systems and processes to detect fraud patterns, spot suspicious IP addresses, and prevent fraudulent clicks. Google reports these efforts in your Google Ads account, categorizing detected invalid clicks separately.
Additionally, advertisers often turn to third-party click fraud monitoring solutions for added protection. However, their experience with these systems has not been overwhelmingly positive. These monitoring platforms often have limitations, and challenges arise due to the sheer volume of fraudulent activity, especially when bad actors employ tactics like VPNs to obscure their actions.
Google’s Limitations in Fighting Click Fraud
Relying solely on Google to combat click fraud is another challenge. Google’s systems may not detect all fraudulent activity, and sometimes their reports don’t align with the reality of what advertisers are experiencing. As a result, it can be incredibly frustrating for advertisers who continue to see their budgets drained by fake clicks.
The Breakthrough
So, what did we do to counter click fraud and regain control of our client’s campaigns? We took an innovative approach by adding audiences to our search campaigns. Specifically, we introduced approximately 600 different audiences, including affinity and in-market audiences.
Here’s how it worked: Instead of merely using observation audiences, which track user behavior but don’t restrict ad visibility, we switched to targeting audiences. This change effectively limited ad display to individuals who were not only searching for specific keywords but also belonged to one of the audiences they defined. This approach allowed our expert team to filter out potentially fraudulent clicks from people who weren’t part of these audiences.
The Results
The results of this strategy are impressive. We at StubGroup observed significant improvements in two key areas:
- Invalid Click Rate: The rate at which Google was reporting invalid clicks decreased by an average of 50%. This indicated that their filtering of audiences helped reduce the number of fraudulent clicks Google was catching.
- Conversion Rate: With the decrease in fraudulent clicks, we saw a substantial increase in our client’s conversion rate. We began to hit our target cost per lead, ensuring our budget was spent on genuine prospects, not fake clicks.
Conclusion
Our team of experts at StubGroup has valuable lessons to offer advertisers dealing with click fraud. While there are several measures in place to combat fraudulent clicks, a proactive strategy that includes audience targeting within Google Ads itself can significantly reduce the impact of click fraud on your campaigns. Keep on top of the game by continually monitoring and adapting your approach to stay ahead of fraudulent clicks.
At StubGroup, our experts continue to provide valuable insights and strategies for advertisers to combat click fraud effectively and maximize the ROI on their ad campaigns. If you would like to stay up to date about changes in the world of digital advertising, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you would like to speak with a member of our team, reach out to us at stubgroup.com.