You are here: silicon.com > Networks > WebWatch

WebWatch

Click fraud soaring on Google and Yahoo!

Pay-per-click... but who's doing the clicking?

Tags: click fraud, google, click, yahoo

By Will Sturgeon

Published: 18 July 2006 09:25 BST

The amount of click fraud taking place on search giants such as Yahoo! and Google has increased since the beginning of the year, despite efforts to curb the practice.

Click fraud happens in pay-per-click online advertising when people or computer programs click on an advert and imitate legitimate users. This generates a fraudulent charge per click to the advertiser. Click-fraud scams can be perpetrated either by competitors trying to deplete rival marketing budgets, or by the advertisers themselves wishing to push their adverts up the search rankings.

According to a report published by click-fraud reporting service Click Forensics, the click fraud rate for tier one search providers, including Google and Yahoo!, rose from 12.1 per cent in the first quarter of the year to 12.8 per cent in the second quarter.

For high-priced search terms — those that generate more than $2 per click, and which often make up the majority of an advertiser's total spend — the click-fraud rate over the industry was 20.2 per cent, according to the Click Forensics survey of over 1,300 advertisers and agencies.

Tom Cuthbert, CEO of Click Forensics, said warned that those companies buying the higher priced search terms are unfortunately leaving themselves vulnerable to the greatest levels of fraud.

The overall industry average for click fraud rose to 14.1 per cent in the second quarter, from 13.7 per cent in the first quarter. The greatest percentage of click fraud – more than 88 per cent, originated from North America.

Tom Espiner writes for ZDNet UK

  1. Zones
  2. Management
  3. Networks
  4. Software
  5. IT Services
  6. Hardware
  1. Verticals
  2. Public Sector
  3. Financial Services
  4. Retail & Leisure
Read and write about internet access at the airports of the world at atlarge.com. Be the first to rate an airport, win champagne...

Steve Ranger Editor's Blog: The naked truth about DSL Is it time to rethink broadband pricing?

Natasha Lomas ¿Dónde está el iPhone 3G? Comment: It's clear who calls the shots in this relationship...


  • Jobs
Senior Project Manager: Financial Services - 45,000: Cheshire

Having handled budgets of circa m+, you, as Project Manager, should also have prior experience of handling up to 4 Project at any one time. Huxley ...

NHS Clinical Coder / Coding Officer - North West - excellent rate

An exciting opportunity has arisen for experienced Clinical Coders to join a friendly team within an NHS Trust in the Northwest. The Clinical Coder ...

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Youll also be expected to establish project cost budgets, timeline and resource requirements for the successful completion of each project to the ...

CIO50 2008
The silicon.com CIO50 2008 profiles the most influential and innovative tech chiefs in the UK across all industries and organisation size, from the biggest FTSE100 companies to high growth dot-com start ups and the public sector. The list was voted on by the UK CIO community and a panel of experts. Find out more in our latest special report.





Quick Sitemap Links: