Click Fraud Up Year-Over-Year
Click fraud rates are increasing steadily as the search engines and the courts continue to look the other way.
The Click Fraud Index has been established to measure pay-per-click fraud figures gathered from the Click Fraud Network, comprised of more than 4,000 interactive advertisers and agencies.
The average click fraud rate in 2007 is 16.3% up significantly from 14.8% in the first quarter of 2006.
In fact with Google and Yahoo the click fraud rates are even higher. The major search engine Pay Per Click networks – like Google AdSense and the Yahoo Publisher Network – delivered the worst numbers, with click fraud rates as high as 27.8%.
The click fraud numbers have averaged over 28% for more than a year.
In other words approx. 30% of any PPC budget is being wasted.
Click Fraud costing all parties.
Sponsored keyword advertisers are not the only party paying for bogus clicks. Yahoo and Google have incurred millions of dollars in legal fees fighting hundreds of click-fraud related lawsuits.
Yahoo is being sued by online retailer Bigreds.com for more than $1 million, the click fraud lawsuit alleges that Yahoo knowingly overcharged the company for fraudulent clicks that Yahoo overlooked. And Google is also involved in a complex, class-action, click fraud lawsuit filed by Kabateck Brown Kellner in which Google is accused of “deceiving its customers into paying for ads that they do not want.”
Organic SEO is the most effective means of curbing click fraud.
Outsource with a proven organic search engine optimization firm like Peak Positions and secure and maintain top keyword rankings in the natural search results.
Natural search listings receive five times more click throughs than sponsored listings (many times 6 or 7 times higher than ppc), serve to endorse your website as the industry leader, and the best part is that no click fees are ever applied.
The most significant approach to SEO is one that provides redeeming long-term value; Organic SEO.
In addition, be wary of any SEO firm that does not rank in the top organic keyword positions themselves.
Why is their SEO site not ranking?
Do they have to rely on sponsored listings for website exposure?
If so, could you expect the same results for any website they are working with?
How much do they actually know or care about code, content, linking, algorithms, etc.?
Do they lead with aggression?
Bold promises? Self Hyped Marketing Speak?
Bold Fees?
Is the conversation focused on your unique website or their greatness?
For a free website analysis and real world SEO dialog ... Drop me a line 231-922-9460.
