The right ad network should be at the top of mind when you’re launching PPC. A ton of companies exhaust so much budget and miss out on qualified leads due to the massive amount of click fraud across these platforms. In 2024, you’d think we could alleviate such issues, however, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Now more than ever it’s important to understand which networks are best for safeguarding your ad spend and which might be draining your budget.
The Current State of Click Fraud Across Ad Networks
Click fraud is when clicks on your ads are artificially generated by bots, for the most part, to inflate engagement metrics and has been a huge problem when running any ads. The clicks eventually burn through a companies budget and skew campaign data. Overall, this makes it beyond challenging for businesses to reach their real target audience effectively. Here’s an overview of click fraud rates by ad network for 2024 so far:
- TikTok Ads: Leading the chart with a staggering 74% fraud rate, indicating a significant portion of ad spend is potentially wasted on non-human traffic.
- Twitter/X Ads: Following closely with a 61% fraud rate, showcasing a substantial risk to advertisers relying on this platform for engagement.
- Facebook Ads: Holding a 57% fraud rate, this platform's vast user base may not always translate into authentic engagement.
- LinkedIn Ads: Exhibiting a 48% fraud rate, suggesting that even professional networks are not immune to the click fraud menace.
- Reddit Ads: With a 33% fraud rate, it indicates a lower risk compared to others but still a concern for marketers targeting this audience.
- Microsoft Ads: Demonstrating a notably lower 14% fraud rate, suggesting better fraud detection and prevention mechanisms.
- Google Ads: Showing a commendable 11% fraud rate, reflecting its robust anti-fraud measures.
Instagram Ads: An outlier with less than 1% fraud rate, indicating exceptional control over fraudulent activities.
Mitigating Click Fraud: Strategies for Advertisers
Advertisers should now begin to strategize how they can protect their investment; their ad spend. Here’s some tips from Be Uniic (considering we’ve been through this!):
- Selective Use of Ad Networks: Based on the fraud rates, platforms like Instagram stand out as safer bets, whereas networks like TikTok and Twitter/X might require more vigilance.
- Turn Off Audience Networks: Unless you're confident in your ability to whitelist, disabling audience networks can prevent your ads from appearing in high-fraud environments.
- Disable Search Partners: This feature, though potentially beneficial for reach, can often lead to increased exposure to fraudulent clicks.
- Refine Location and Audience Settings: Ensuring your ads target the correct locations and demographic specifics can reduce the scope for fraudsters to engage with your ads.
- Utilize Exact Match Keywords and Negative Search Terms: Tailoring your keyword strategy to exclude terms commonly associated with bot activity can significantly reduce fraudulent clicks.
- Avoid Auto-Apply Recommendations: Automatic adjustments might not always align with your campaign's best interest, particularly concerning fraud prevention.
Takeaways
2024 has seen crazy advancements for marketing. One of the things that hasn’t been fixed up is the fraud click we’ve been seeing. By being informed, and taking strategic steps, it’s possible to mitigate the fraud clicks and the overall ad landscape as a whole. Choosing the right platforms and employing targeted strategies to mitigate the fraud can help you spread your ad spend more, make sure your ads reach and engage real consumers, and provide more ROI.
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