How can Google claim their filter process works against these softwares?
I tested the above software with my own campaigns; I was charged 6 out of 10 times
(I used a very unique word)!
I just got a response from google (took 10 weeks), stating that there filter process can detect
such things. Before I travel to the west coast to demostrate in person their filter process
does not work, is there anything else I can do?
[edited by: NFFC at 9:12 pm (utc) on Mar. 28, 2003]
[edit reason] Specifics removed [/edit]
Of all the 'tricks' this software uses the one that Google may, or may not, have an easy time defeating is it's use of public (wideopen) proxy servers.
You give this software a list of proxy servers (which can be hundreds long) and it'll marrily use them, round robin, to download the page, and click on the ad, repeatedly, all day long.
I downloaded the demo version and looked at it, but I don't have that many unique (where I'm the only advertiser) keywords so I didn't actually execute it.
As a counter that Google may wish to consider (GoogleGuy - Read this part) -- there are several DNS black lists used commonly to stop SPAM that list only open proxies. Perhaps any ad-clicks from these proxies could be immediately black-listed if > 1-2 /day.
At least Google might be able to use this list to run some statistics on the CTR for these IPs vs. all others. At least it would give a clearer picture of how previlent this is.
(Also note worthy - the forums for this software has no less then 2-3 threads on the first page with lists of hundreds of open proxy servers)
Also found that competitors mostly clicked (and clicked and clicked) for unknown reasons. Get more leads from real search engine hits, just wasted a bunch of money on PPC. Might be better for home fields, but our's it didnt work in any direction...
