To be or not to be worried about malicious click attacks...

Discussion in 'AdSense' started by specialist, Mar 15, 2006.

  1. #1
    Hi everybody,

    I thought you might be interesting in reading this article (PDF) from MarketingExperiments.com. It is a bit old (June 05), but it does provide some insight into how Google deals with invalid clicks.

    The main theme of the article is click fraud, but they also talk about the results of an experiment where AdSense ads were clicked 10 times consecutively, in various settings. Here were the results:

    [​IMG]

    It seems like Google is not easily fooled by overclicking...

    I guess the open question is whether Google penalizes publishers who experience this type of attack?
     
    specialist, Mar 15, 2006 IP
  2. clancey

    clancey Peon

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    #2
    At a minimum, Google would not be paying you for those clicks. At a maximum, if Google suspected you were participating, they would cancel your account and keep all the money you earned up until that point.

    This is serious issue for Google and for those of us who feature AdSense ads on our websites. Google just paid U.S. $90 million to settle a class action click fraud lawsuit. Avoiding another such lawsuit, will likely Google more pro-active in dealing with this issue. It should also keep downward pressure on the percentage Google pays to AdSense sites.
     
    clancey, Mar 15, 2006 IP
  3. AbdulR

    AbdulR Guest

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    #3
    I noticed some unusual click activity on one of my sites yesterday And sure enough... google did not pay me for those clicks.

    It isnt the first time one of my sites visitors has done this. I always get very nervous when it happens.
     
    AbdulR, Mar 15, 2006 IP
  4. usedmac

    usedmac Peon

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    #4
    I have had this happen to one of my sites once. I wouldn't get to nervious though. Google has ways of telling that whoever is causing the unusual activity is and you have nothing to worry about unless of course you are the one clicking your own ads.
     
    usedmac, Mar 16, 2006 IP
  5. jumble

    jumble Peon

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    #5
    how can they tell who is clicking? i cant see a difference between a "friend" clicking and a "malicious" attacker. either one could be anywhere in the world and may well have the same surfing habits..eg visiting a forum once a day. :rolleyes:
     
    jumble, Mar 21, 2006 IP
  6. usedmac

    usedmac Peon

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    #6
    When you get click bombed you will know. You have no way of knowing where the clicks are coming from but you will notice a HUGE increase in clicks on your ads during a short period of time with very little page impressions. Google figures this out and you don't get credited with the revenue.

    I remember getting over 400 clicks in the course of about an hour one day. When usually I only get up to just about 40 per day.
     
    usedmac, Mar 21, 2006 IP
  7. AboutItWorld

    AboutItWorld Peon

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    #7
    google needs to chill. theres times when someone may click every 1 of your ad links. i know i personally would if they interested me. i would right click and open in new page and look at then when i was done reading what i was reading.

    i always open links in the text in new pages so i can finish reading first then i look at them.
     
    AboutItWorld, Mar 22, 2006 IP
  8. FreeFox

    FreeFox Peon

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    #8
    That is problem, but i am not sure how to prevent that. Two much variables inside...
     
    FreeFox, Mar 22, 2006 IP