The media storm has been brewing for nearly two years and in recent months, it seems that you can’t turn without finding yet another story about click fraud or another interview with those affected by it. Earlier this year, we had the news that Google had settled one click fraud suit for $90 million – which most click fraud experts agree is on the very low side. Developers of click detection software and experts in analyzing the analytics have become media darlings, appearing on CNBC several times in the last month and quoted in the news magazines. In interview after interview, they all agree on one thing – detecting click fraud falls on the shoulders of the advertisers running the campaigns.

That, they say, is the first step in combating and minimizing the damage done by click fraud. Keeping a regular watch on your web analytics and click ad performance should be as routine and going over your bank and credit card statements. Auditing performance reports – at least a quick once over daily on a small site, and a software solution to isolate suspicious click activity running on a regular basis – is the best way to quickly identify traffic that fits the patterns of click fraud.

But analyzing your stats is only one part of a multi-faceted approach to combat click fraud.  As long as each advertiser is working alone to safeguard his or her own account, the entire advertising community is missing some of the most effective tools in the battle against fraud. The key word is community. When advertisers come together, we increase our ability to combat the problem by more than the sum of our parts, and here’s why.

1. Wading through analytics – especially for multiple campaigns – is time consuming and difficult. Eyeballing multiple streams make it difficult to spot trends in an enormous sea of data. Software filters and click fraud detection programs can help manage the scope of the work and prepare reports that you can use to support claims of fraud,
2. By adopting a community wide zero tolerance policy, the community sends a strong message that click fraud won’t be tolerated.
3. Recording and sharing suspicious IPs in a common database allows for stronger evidence when seeking a refund for fraudulent clicks.
4. The scope of the solution has to match the scope of the problem. The latest variations of click fraud share a great deal with bank account skimming of fractional amounts of money. Few people would notice – or even complain – if their account is a few cents off. But when a thief skims off a few cents each from hundreds of thousands of accounts, he has a pretty payday – and the bank takes a major loss. Likewise, when a click fraudster is skimming a few dollars here and there from hundreds of advertisers, it’s barely noticeable on an individual level. When you widen the scope, though, the loss across the community is enormous.
5. Using a common platform for recording and reporting data makes it easier to compare that data across advertisers and spot trends. Likewise, an open forum for discussion can alert advertisers to problems that they haven’t noticed yet.
6. The use of a common auditing solution that is also open and extensible allows for the development of extensions and add-ons across the community. This kind of open collaboration draws on the strengths of all members to create the most efficient and powerful filters possible.
7. A united community of advertisers has the influence and power to demand accountability and transparency from the PPC engines where individuals hold back for fear of reprisal.

By Jay Stockwell
Click Sentinel Founder
Fighting Click Fraud Together