Tips For Detecting & Avoiding PPC ‘Click Farm’ Fraud

If you’re running a PPC campaign, you need to be on the lookout for fraudulent clicks. Here are some things to watch for:

1. Click patterns that are outside the norm. If you see a sudden spike in clicks from a specific location or IP address, it could be someone trying to game the system.

2. Unusual click-through rates. If you see a click-through rate that is significantly higher or lower than usual, it could be a sign of fraud.

3. High bounce rates. If people click on your ad and then immediately leave your site, it could be a sign that they’re not interested in what you’re offering, or it could be…

4. Click Farms. If you see a high number of clicks that come from VPN IP addresses, it is likely that offshore “click farms” are targeting you. If you’re running a PPC advertising campaign, you must be on the lookout for click farms. These are businesses that generate fake clicks on ads to inflate the click-through rate artificially. This can wreck your campaign by making it more expensive and less effective. There are a few ways to spot a click farm. First, look at the IP addresses that are clicking on your ads. If you see a lot of clicks coming from a single IP address or from a range of IP addresses that all seem to be in the same country, then it’s likely that you’re dealing with a click farm. You can test an IP address’s quality score here.

How To Stop Click Fraud

To reduce the ability of VPN click farms to target your ads, it is advisable to focus on specific locations within a city using the geo-targeting (geo-fencing) systems provided by your PPC advertising company, such as Meta (formerly Facebook) and Google. VPNs are often only able to geo-target ads in major city centers. Advertising to only people in certain districts or burrows can alleviate some of this fraud.

Another way to spot a click farm is to look at the time of day your ads are being clicked. Click farms often operate in different time zones, so you may see a sudden spike in clicks during odd hours of the night.

If you suspect that a click farm is targeting you, then there are a few things you can do. First, try to block the IP addresses that seem to be associated with the click farm. This won’t stop them entirely, but it will reduce the number of fake clicks. You can also try to contact the click farm and ask them to stop clicking on your ads by flying to their country and confronting them directly. This probably won’t work, but it’s worth a try. You’ll also get to travel to a foreign country and learn some choice words in a new language. Seriously, we’re joking, don’t do this. Ever.

Finally, you can report the click farm to Google, Meta, or other PPC platforms. This may help to get the click farm shut down, and it will also help to improve the quality of the PPC ads for everyone. These businesses can ruin your campaign by artificially inflating your costs and making your ads less effective. But if you’re aware of the problem, then you can take steps to protect your campaign.

If you would like us to professionally stop your click farmer (legally of course) or have a story to tell us about your trip to Asia, contact us today via [email protected] or +1 (888) 824-3359. We’d love to hear about your adventures.