Google Click though Fraud

Badmoon · 06-18-2004, 10:58 AM

Hey guys I just ran my stats. I advertise on Google they said they sent me 100 click thoughs so far today. I was concerned because normally people call me from those ad's I see the ad's running however I went to check my server stats and I dont have one click though to my site today from google and they are stating they have sent 100.. Im going to complain

pcarlow · 06-18-2004, 04:59 PM

Same thing happened to me. I sent Google and email and they sent me one back saying they had stuff in place to catch that. You have to be able to prove with servers logs and stuff that fraud is taking place. It's very hard to prove.

I think some competitors will use script bots with fake ip addresses to click on your ads and try and run you out of town. I had to stop that very profitable campaign because I was about to start losing money. That's when I decided I would rather get free listings in the organic search results and started learning SEO.

Badmoon · 06-19-2004, 03:42 AM

Thats interesting! yep I do have the server logs to prove it..

webmastery · 06-19-2004, 04:15 AM

For sure that's right. On the very expensive keywords, you'll get a ton of clicks from competitors from day one.

Search results also convert better.

But if you send your log in, you will get re-imbursed.

rachel · 06-19-2004, 05:49 AM

Hey ! thats bad... Google should device something that could take care of these things..

Leader of Men · 06-19-2004, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rachel

Hey ! thats bad... Google should device something that could take care of these things..

Yes, but someone already has:
Click here

RonHollingsworth · 06-19-2004, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webmastery

Search results also convert better.

Not true. Well if you are referring to conversions on the fraud clicks then yes, but PPC will always bring a higher conversion rate.

awall19 · 06-19-2004, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonHollingsworth

Quote:

Originally Posted by webmastery

Search results also convert better.

Not true. Well if you are referring to conversions on the fraud clicks then yes, but PPC will always bring a higher conversion rate.

I totally disagree with that statement. they may sometimes, but to say always is completely wrong. conversion rate depends on what industry you are in and how your listings look and the page that they land on and the congruent mood of the surfer and whether or not the surfer has been drinking and whether or not their drinking is going to positively or negatively effect conversions, etc.

too many variables to come out with a carpetbomb statement one way or the other

RonHollingsworth · 06-19-2004, 09:21 AM

It is a fact that PPC will bring you high conversion rates. I've run dozens and 100% of them have returned higher conversions on PPC. That's common since as well.

awall19 · 06-19-2004, 09:39 AM

many people other than me disagree with your statement Ron.

while it may hold true often you also need to realize that some people are just browsing through ads and some people view the top listing organic sites with greater trust than they view ads.

also many ads draw competitors and fraud that does not so much exist on the free side of search.

RonHollingsworth · 06-19-2004, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awall19

many people other than me disagree with your statement Ron.

Many people huh? Yeah I see that...

Quote:

while it may hold true often you also need to realize that some people are just browsing through ads and some people view the top listing organic sites with greater trust than they view ads.

And people "just browse through" organic results as well.

Quote:

also many ads draw competitors and fraud that does not so much exist on the free side of search.

a click is a click no matter what and I'm not sure if I agree with "many ads" draw fraudulent click thoroughs. I'm sure it's a problem with some people, but the amount of "individuals" or non-competitors highly outweigh the fraudulent competitors out there.

**John Scott** · 06-19-2004, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonHollingsworth

It is a fact that PPC will bring you high conversion rates.

I don't see any evidence supporting that. I have, however, heard of a study or two that said that consumers don't trust the paid placements in search results.

RonHollingsworth · 06-19-2004, 10:12 AM

Ok, well facts are based on studies right? Well, in all of my PPC campaigns PPC has brought higher conversions. So that is MY self-proclaimed fact

**John Scott** · 06-19-2004, 10:20 AM

Are you tracking specific click through rates for organic keywords? Or just grouping all organic traffic together?

RonHollingsworth · 06-19-2004, 02:16 PM

I track click through and conversion rates per keyword.

mjm1905 · 06-19-2004, 04:52 PM

Are you targeting the same keywords Ron?

I have not experimented myself, but it seems logical to pay for the keywords that you are not receiving traffic on. If you can get the free listing there, why bother?

If you are targeting different words, and displaying a different ad than your sites displayed description, wouldn't that have a lot to do with the subject?

I can see where your coming from, by targeting the searches people can't find your site on, would be logical to convert better. I would think that is why everyone wants to place for them phrases because of this.

Just my two cents

awall19 · 06-19-2004, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjm1905

If you can get the free listing there, why bother?

So you can control the branding message and help build trust in the eyes of the consumer.

mjm1905 · 06-19-2004, 07:49 PM

That's not logical if you ask me. If you're already on top, you got the branding. All the adsense would do is stick you on top again.

I can see for the point of the content match, but for the SERP's is hard to digest.

awall19 · 06-19-2004, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjm1905

That's not logical if you ask me. If you're already on top, you got the branding. All the adsense would do is stick you on top again.

I can see for the point of the content match, but for the SERP's is hard to digest.

by appearing on the page more than once you build trust. if a consumer notices you listing in both spots they are way more likely to click on your result.

most people do not control the branding message in the snippet on the organic side. you control exactly what appears in the ad.

My ppc ad for the term "seo book" has around a 20% conversion rate when people click on it.

the fact that people are searching for my domain name (where I rank at #1 and #2) and still look over at the ads and then click on my ads and convert at around 20% tells me there is some value in being listed over there.

mjm1905 · 06-19-2004, 07:59 PM

Can't debate any further with that. I think thats pretty interesting. Personally, if I clicked the same result a second time, I would just hit the back button as soon as the page started to load, and I noticed it to be the same. But I guess you never what the average consumer is going to do...

I'll keep this in mind.