One of my competitors who I suspect had a part in me being slapped by Penguin is clicking on my adwords ads. Checking his IP host name area / town against his office address postdcode there is like 2 miles between the two (the host name area will cover 2 to 5 miles or maybe more I reckon) it seems to be the same guy. I reported it to google - all the good that will do. As I said, I suspect this guy to be part of the reason why I am having to pay for adwords. What would you do? Retaliate or let karma fuck him up? Any suggestions what to do?
Dirty Competitor
- Thread starter jezsez
- Start date
He's not clicking on your ads. There is a better chance that your grocery store cashier is stealing your credit card number.
There are so many things your competitor would have to do to get past Google AdWords filters for duplicate clicks that his/her time would be better spent designing complex algorithms for the government.
Here is a "small" list of what he would have to do every time he clicked on your ad:
- change his IP address
- change his browser
- change his browser's addons
- change the fonts installed on his computer
- change his screen size resolution
- change his ISP
- change his flash/java/cookie support
- change his operating system (65% of the time)
- most importantly of all, he would have to match his search query velocity and clicking volume to the same values that Google is already receiving for the keyword you're targeting.
In fact, the worst thing he could do would be not to click on your ads, thus lowering your CTR which in turn would negatively affect your adwords account performance history causing your quality score to decrease resulting in higher minimum bids.
If he is, however, able to get around Google then you should thank your competitor because you must have a 50-100% CTR from all the clicks you're receiving from this person.
Scritty
Elite Member
- May 1, 2010
- 3,019
- 4,707
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This
Yeah Google nearly fecked everything up a few years back with adsense link spamming. Confidence in Adsense plumetted - and with it Google's future income was nearly compromised with it. They put in a raft of changes and checks. Not saying it couldn't be botted, but it would have to be one hell of a complex one. Sounds more like somone is snooping your websites back end for data. WATCH OUT. Could be a lot worse than losing a few bucks on adsense.
Scritty
So why do I see these clicks in my stats? All from the same IP, with same OS, same screen res, same broswer, same town. Spead over 2 days, never viewing any other pages, clicking off after 1 or 2 seconds?
I would be happier if it wasn't him but I believe it is.
Hmm, that sounds like it could still be the same guy to me!
TheViceroy
BANNED
- Jul 3, 2012
- 201
- 39
If the same guy is clicking on the ads over and over, you probably won't be billed for it. If you look in your adwords statement there should be occasional credits for bad clicks. At least that's what I have been finding in my account. Every now and then they give me a few dollars back.
beaglejuice
Power Member
- Mar 12, 2009
- 744
- 487
Deez The Webguru
Regular Member
- Sep 13, 2010
- 205
- 89
If you know for sure it's him then maybe embark on a negative SEO campaign on his website... Normally it's not something I would recommend doing but if it's in self defense then so be it...I mean if he is "attacking" you then you have every right to defend yourself and fight back. Off course u need to be certain that he is actually doing what you think he is doing...
I should have been a bit more specific. Anyone can repeatedly click on someone's ad, but Google will only charge the advertiser when they feel the person is clicking on their advertisement out of pure interest.
If they were clicking on your ads for the sole purpose of increasing your advertising costs, Google would register those clicks as "invalid" and would not charge you for them. Google would also remove any CTR those clicks may have given your account.
Kinda off topic, but I was searching for a similar response I left for someone in the official AdWords Help forums (where I was a Level 9 contributor) and I just found out Google deleted those forums permanently. Dang.
If they were clicking on your ads for the sole purpose of increasing your advertising costs, Google would register those clicks as "invalid" and would not charge you for them. Google would also remove any CTR those clicks may have given your account.
Kinda off topic, but I was searching for a similar response I left for someone in the official AdWords Help forums (where I was a Level 9 contributor) and I just found out Google deleted those forums permanently. Dang.
I'll translate:
This translates to:
When AdSense first launched it was a big success for Google, but then it became a major target of spamming where spammers would create jibberish blogs or fake search engines where the sole intent was people clicking on the AdSense ads on the site. Of course, all the user would see was a bunch of irrelevant information with the words "Ads by Google" and so people started thinging negatively about Google. Because AdSense created so much additional revenue, Google kept it, but they also made a bunch of new changes that prevented it from being abused as much as it had been in the past. In the process of doing this they created a bunch of filter that prevented duplicate clicks for AdWords users who advertise through AdSense.
While it is possible for someone to create a bot that will click on someone's AdWords Ads, it would be so complicated that it would be more likely someone is trying to hack into your website for data; which if this happens is a lot more serious than paying for duplicate clicks.
Well, I could never be 100% certain as the clicks could come from someone else within a 2 mile radius of his work postcode as that 2 miles could contain a lot of people. What I need to do is somehow capture his current IP and compare to what the clickes were from. I need to send him to some obscure URL on my site that has tracking code. Before his IP address changes. Somehow...
- Jun 25, 2009
- 886
- 1,538
Send him a gift basket.
TheLinkGuy
Power Member
- Nov 20, 2010
- 634
- 130
I wouldn't waste any time other than blocking his IP from your site and monitoring your stats/traffic a little closer.
Don't resort to his level and do childish things, at the end of the day he's wasting his time and instead of being proactive and growing his business he's scrweing around by trying to fuck you over.
Focus on your business and get the last laugh when he's closing down shop and getting a job at Mcdonalds.
Don't resort to his level and do childish things, at the end of the day he's wasting his time and instead of being proactive and growing his business he's scrweing around by trying to fuck you over.
Focus on your business and get the last laugh when he's closing down shop and getting a job at Mcdonalds.
BLIXX
BANNED
- Mar 26, 2012
- 390
- 505
OP, this^ has a grain of truth to it but should still be ignored. You seem reasonable -- your common sense won't let you down.
I placed the 32nd ad ever to appear on AdWords and I'm telling you that AdWords will bill the shit out of you for repeat clicks because it is in their best interests to do so. Go with your gut on this: if you feel it is the same person and you have corroborative data supporting that supposition (which it sounds like you do) then your first, best option is to block the IPs and/or entire IP range in your AdWords dash.
I am guessing that you've figured out how to do this since you haven't updated this thread. Further I'm guessing ergo problem solved. However, if you need help feel free to ask here or PM me.
I'm just posting the facts. However, I doubt the total cost of the invalid clicks the OP assumes came from his/her competitor exceeds the value of the time the OP has wasted researching this.
BLIXX
BANNED
- Mar 26, 2012
- 390
- 505
You aren't stating facts, though; at least as concerns OP's specific instance. A strongly held belief based on likely probabilities that are filtered by way of assumptive potentialities does not a fact make.
OP states in his OP all we need to know to simplify the matter without resorting to conjecture or what arguably amounts to conspiracy theories.
You're obviously a smart and thought-out dood -- I'm not trying to insult you (indeed, there needs to be about 565,432 more of you on BHW). That being said, the scenario/dynamic you have presented is actually what Google looks for to discount 'illegitimate' clicks as opposed to a fucking idiot that doesn't know how to bookmark a page: Google gives many a leeway to fucking idiots, so long as someone else pays for it.
I know, because I've paid for it.
Scritty
Elite Member
- May 1, 2010
- 3,019
- 4,707
Well I'd have to see the stats.
If you have them you need to send them to Google
In 2009 adsense click spamming was rife - Google put in a massive effort to put a stop to all sorts of stuff.
The sort of click spamming you are talking about is so obvious it wouldn't have counted even before hand.
Example: An ip clicking on an adsense ad only counts once every 90 minutes or so. If you have more, and your account is being debited you need to send these stats to Google.
They are (frankly) bastards, they just keep the money. They don't pay the advertiser his money back, they don't pay the affiliate his commisions - they keep the lot - but they may ban the account and stop it happening in future.
This is one of the reasons I don't touch adsense or adwords - Google are NOT trustworthy business partners if anything goes wrong. Leaving adsense was the best move I ever made financially.
Scritty