Click fraud is a criminal offense that can send someone to jail once proven guilty.
But for some publishers, especially those who don’t know much about IT, it’s quite difficult to know which clicks are fake and which are valid.
Based on this, Google AdSense developed a click fraud monitoring plugin.
This tool helps prevent unintentional clicks from the publisher and malicious clicks from other users and application programs.
The plugin also blocks certain suspicious Internet addresses. According to Google, the software is simple and easy to install. Even the not so internet savvy people will have an easy time using it.
Several features of the monitoring tool can assure AdSense users of their protection. The program notifies the site owner by email when a user is banned.
Ads are disabled whenever clicks become redundant. IP addresses can also be manually unblocked. Basically, the plugin counts all the clicks on a certain ad.
If the click exceeds a specific number, the ad is removed. The user or bot is also blocked.
In addition to using tools to avoid getting caught by click fraud, there are several ways to protect site owners from this problem.
It’s important to use a unique URL for your landing pages so you can clearly evaluate your stats. Also, don’t believe advertising companies that offer high prices for clicks.
If the amount is too good to be true, it probably is. There are free programs that track clicks on websites. This can help you identify if the clicks are coming from your competitor.
AdSense advertisers can also prevent click fraud by following the tips below. Focusing on well-established sites can reduce the risk of false clicks.
Use only trusted publishers. Also, limit ad exposure in certain countries with low employment rates.
Bots are usually found in these areas. Always monitor your campaigns. Please consider disabling ads for your own IP address.
This will prevent accidental clicks and will not cause Google to confuse others with you. This can be done through the htaccess files on your website.
Study ways to access and disable specific parts of this registry. By doing so, the potential threats are limited.
Stay away from pop-ups because your ads should not be shown on web pages that have irrelevant content with illegal activity, adults, gambling, firearms, or drugs.
Study the server logs and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. Immediately report any unusual performance.
Look for big spikes in traffic and suspicious activity in files or folders that users don’t normally have access to. It is suggested that you keep track of these by recording the uptime.
For best results, it is generally recommended to purchase monitoring software that offers significant features to take care of your ads.
Take into consideration the price and what it offers. Get from known marketplace sites. Do not spam requests that you receive from your email.
Once again, promises that are too good to be true are often empty. Hands-on monitoring can really help, as humans can do a lot of things that machines can’t.