Advertisers are losing money due to scam websites generating fake clicks on adverts and submitting spam leads to trick conversion tracking
Click fraud detection firm Polygraph is warning advertisers using ‘Performance Max’ advertising campaigns to be aware of fake clicks and spam leads.
According to Trey Vanes, Polygraph’s head of marketing, the fraud is a result of Performance Max, also known as Pmax, forcing advertisers to display their adverts on scam display websites.
“When your ads appear on scam display websites, they’re going to receive a large amount of click fraud,” said Vanes. “This is because the scammers are motivated to use bots and trickery to generate fake clicks on your ads, which depletes your advertising budget and enriches the criminals.
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“To ensure the fraudulent clicks appear genuine, the bots generate fake conversions at your website. Typically, these will be spam leads, or adding items to a shopping cart, as this is enough to trick the advertising network into believing real people clicked on your ads.
“The end result is you’re charged for the fake clicks, and you waste time and resources following up on spam leads.”
Vanes says the problem could be avoided if advertisers were allowed to opt-out of Performance Max placing their adverts on display websites.
“One of the problems with Performance Max is advertisers have little control over where their ads are placed,” said Vanes. “Typically, advertisers want to choose which websites or networks are able to show their ads, but Performance Max removes this choice and forces the ads to appear on display websites.
“The end result is ads are being shown on display websites which only exist to generate fake clicks on ads, which doesn’t benefit anyone except scammers and the advertising network.”
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Vanes recommends advertisers limit their adverts to search networks, and use a click fraud prevention tool to prevent click fraud.
“If you limit your ads to appear on search networks, such as within Google’s search results only, you’ll drastically reduce the amount of fake clicks stealing your advertising budget, as you’ve removed the financial incentive for scammers to click on your ads,” said Vanes. “Additionally, by using a click fraud prevention tool like Polygraph, you’ll be able to quantify the amount of fake clicks on your ads, adjust your ad keywords to avoid future click fraud, and have the evidence necessary to get refunds from your advertising network.”
“Polygraph makes it easy to detect click fraud, block click fraud websites, get refunds from advertising networks, and avoid fake clicks,” added Vanes.
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