How Google Detects Click Fraud - A Must Know for AdSense Publisher
A lot of Google AdSense publishers are banned from the Google AdSense program for click fraud. Some of these Google AdSense publishers manage to get their AdSense account reinstated. However, majority of them failed to do so. As a result, they are banned from the Google AdSense program.
Google does not reveal any specific details on how they define click fraud. They do not disclose their proprietary click fraud detection technology as well. As a result of that, publishers would not be able to report any click fraud activities on their website.
However, Google does provide general definition of invalid clicks. It may be a good idea to learn how Google defines invalid clicks and how they detect click fraud.
Google defines invalid clicks as:
- Manual clicks intended to increase publisher’s advertising
- Clicks by automated tools, robots, or other deceptive software.
So how does Google detect click fraud activities on your website? How would they know which clicks are invalid? Google AdSense team uses three powerful tools to detect invalid clicks:
- Detection and filtering techniques: Each click
on an AdSense ad is monitored by Google system. Google will
record the IP of each click, the time of the click,
duplicate clicks and various click patterns. Google will use
these factors and filter out potential invalid clicks.
-
Advanced monitoring techniques: Google uses its
proprietary software to monitor click fraud activity. They
are constantly working to improve their click fraud
detection technology.
- The Google Team: In addition, Google has a team that uses specialized tools and techniques to examine individual case of click fraud. When Google system detects potentially invalid clicks, a member of this team will examines the affected account.
Despite the effort that Google put in to improve their invalid clicks detection technology, Google does not provide any click fraud protection for publishers. It is very hard for publishers to prove that they have nothing to do with the click fraud activities on their website. It is equally hard for Google AdSense team to believe that the publishers have nothing to do with the click fraud activities on their websites. It is often too late for publishers when they receive the AdSense termination letter from Google AdSense team.
There are few innocent publishers whose AdSense account has been terminated because of a sudden spike in their AdSense earnings. This sudden jump in AdSense earnings is due to the sudden jump in website traffic. The spike in their AdSense earnings would probably raise the red flag in Google click fraud detection system and had their accounts terminated. If you think your AdSense account is terminated unfairly, Google provides you a way to make your appeal:
http://www.google.com/support/adsense/bin/request.py?contact=invalid_clicks_appeal
A Piece of Advice
When you are making your appeal via email, you should stay calm and plan the right strategy. You should be patient when dealing with Google and most importantly you should be polite when communicating with them. You may take initiative to provide them with all the documents they need.