Protecting publishers from click fraud.

adsense could find ways, offer tips to help out.

[eddy22]

I hope adsense would suggest ways/ assist publishers to prevent click fraud.

I am sure this gesture will be appreciated by all of us here.

As publishers, what would be the best way for us to prevent this if we have a small site?

thanks
eddy

[trillianjedi]

As publishers, what would be the best way for us to prevent this if we have a small site?

1. Don't click on your own ads.
2. Don't check your stats on any computer other than your own.

TJ

[blairsp]

I don't mean this to sound as flippant as it inevitably will do, but the only way to protect against click fraud is don't put ANY cpc advertising on your site.

Bear in mind that G are only interested in stopping it happening. They aren't unduly concerned as to who it was and therefore the easy option is to block the account. Therefore why would they want to give people advice on how to stop this happening as it may (inadvertantly) reveal some measure that they use to determine click fraud

[valley]

Counting only once a click for IP number session(or a combination of it with a pc ID and or cookie) within a certain time frame ( 24 hours, 12 hours etc.),and automatically excluding the publisher's one would help .

Is this too difficult to implement?

[blairsp]

Is this too difficult to implement?

I am sure it wouldn't be. After all some of the other cpc companies have already done this at least in part. I am sure G would have at least the same technological abilities. Maybe they simply don't want to.

[europeforvisitors]

Or maybe they've done it and we just don't know it. :-)

[gmac17]

they definitely have not done it.

What I have personally seen in general (through the use of detection software) is the following:

1 person clicks on my ads once per day for 2 weeks - I get charged for every single click.

1 person over a short period of time searches for "blue widgets" and clicks my ad, then searches for "red widgets" and clicks my ad then searches for "pink widgets" and clicks my ad, I get charged for all 3 clicks.

it would be SO easy to say "1 click per person per day", but they don't want to do it - they make too much money.

At the same time maybe it wouldn't matter because as charged click #'s fell, conversion rates would go up so bidding for words would go up as well - they still make the same $. At that point adsense becomes even more vulnerable to fraud since clicks are more valuable.....

[level80]

I hope adsense would suggest ways/ assist publishers to prevent click fraud.

Use the Ads by Google link to comment on sites in breach of the program policies, T&Cs or committing fraud - and let Google sort it out. Or are you meaning about fraud on your own site by third parties eg a clickbot - something like that?

[fm101]

Well implementing clicks limit (like 1-3 clicks from same Ip for same Ad a day) help alot. publishers can't do to much, there must be something in the system so fraud clicks can block.