Pay Per Click Fraud Running Rampant
New search marketing reports confirm that Pay Per Click Fraud is running rampant with no end in sight. One SEM study released last week finds that in high-profile keyword categories click-fraud now accounts for as much as 40% of all fees involved.
Many sponsors are returning from their holiday break only to find taht their PPC budgets are exhausted. Keyword Conversions are declining and the funds required to prop up their un-optimized websites on related keywords are sky-rocketing.
"We just blew through our quarterly budget last week and the quality leads are all from organic results" reports one tier one B2B AdWords/Overture sponsor.
"Most of the sponsored clicks are suspect."
"These PPC clicks seem staged."
"Our SEM company has no explanations".
We received more than a handful of these phone calls already today, from frustrated interactive marketing directors opening their December SEM invoices and gasping.
If you suspect fraudulent pay per click activity or feel your site was targeted go to your website server logs and begin to analyze traffic patterns.
One Florida Keys Realtor has retained an experienced PPC attorney to investigate potential legal action against competing real estate firms that were behind most of the illegal ppc click activity that ate up a significant monthly budget in less than one week.
More on the escalating PPC Click Fraud issues in upcoming posts.
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