Click Fraud at Record High

[Vision]

Here is the article link:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/01/27/report-click-fraud-at-record-high/

Here is the article text:

17.1% of all clickthroughs on web advertising are the result of click fraud - the act of clicking on a web ad to artificially increase its click-through rate - according to the latest report from Click Forensics, a company that specializes in monitoring and preventing internet crime. The level of clickfraud is the highest the company has seen since it started monitoring for it in 2006, dashing our hopes that it might hold steady in 2008. The company recorded a rate of 16.3% in Q1 2008.

Also alarming is the fact that over 30% of click fraud is now coming from automated bots - a 14% increase from last quarter and the highest rate Click Forensics has seen since it started collecting data. Click fraud for ads on content networks like Google AdSense and Yahoo Publisher Network was up to 28.2% from 27.1% last quarter, though that figure has decreased since Q4 2007, when it was at 28.3%. Outside of the US, Click Forensics reports that the most click fraud came from Canada (which contributed 7.4%), Germany (3%), and China (2.3%).

Click Forensics also notes that it has seen a reemergence with some old-hat tricks, like link farms. The company speculates that the increase may be tied to the poor economy, which has spurred a rise in activity like phishing and other cybercrime.

 

[Theo]

Looks like Click Forensics has been accused by Google for data skewing.

 

[tas38]

How can they say how much there is going on, it could be higher or lower I would think. Many may say some one that don't stay on the site long, is click fraud when it is not and the other way around as well.

The buyer of ads is the only ones, that can make the choice if it's worth buying ads or not. If it's not worth it then they can stop buying them, if it's worth it then they can keep buying ads. All this click fraud, is for the birds because if buyers was not making money then, they would stop buying the ads for sure.

 

[Gerry]

Also alarming is the fact that over 30% of click fraud is now coming from automated bots

This I just do not understand.

If they are aware of bots at fault, then Google should be able to combat it.

 

[tas38]

>>> If they are aware of bots at fault, then Google should be able to combat it. <<<

That is true and google don't pay for them kind of clicks, as many people found out and if they keep up google gives them the boot. So they are just trying to make big news where there is none, if they keep playing that kind of junk news buyers will stop buying ads.

Or so hurt ad selling to the point it becomes worthless, I reject this kind of junk news like everyone else should as well. It's hurts everyone, that is making money off of ads it's just that simple. Things are hard already, with out this kind of junk news floating around.