Click Spam and its Consequences on Publishers

Click Spam and its Consequences on Publishers

In the world of programmatic advertising, digital ad fraud, including click spamming, affects everyone, be it advertisers or publishers. Click spamming, whether done manually or through automation, is a significant issue that can impact a publisher’s reputation in the programmatic ad market. It arises when numerous clicks on an ad stem from a single user within a brief period or when an excessive number of clicks originate from a shared IP address. In case if the click spam get identified, the advertisers question the integrity of the received traffic. 

Let’s break down the consequences of click spamming for publishers:

1. Temporary Suspension or Permanent Ban of AdX Account:

Temporary Suspension or Permanent Ban of AdX AccountWhen Google detects irregularities in a publisher’s website traffic due to click spam, it may temporarily suspend or permanently ban the publisher’s AdX Account. This means losing access to high-value Google advertisers, and reinstating the account can be a lengthy process involving an investigation and appeal.

2. Revenue Loss:

Revenue LossClick spamming depletes a publisher’s ad inventory, leading to high engagement but low conversions. Advertisers rely most of the time on the publisher for the delivery of Genuine engagement and conversions but click spam eats away the trust which forces advertisers to pull off the budget of advertising. The algorithm may place low-bidding advertisers against the ad inventory, reducing the opportunity for the best CPM rates. This constant loss of revenue is exacerbated if there’s a temporary suspension of AdSense accounts.

3. Low-Quality Inventories:

Low-Quality InventoriesGoogle’s algorithm reduces reliance on publishers with click spam issues, pushing low-bidding advertisers to such publishers. This diminishes the chances of securing high-ticket advertisers and damages the reputation of the publisher.

4. Low Quality Traffic:

Low Quality TrafficIllegitimate traffic sources are of low quality therefore click spam results in failing to deliver it to the audience for the ads. Publishers require traffic from the click farm or the bot network that generates click and impression from the sources that are non-human. The ad also does not attract the traffic that is relevant which prompt the advertiser to either withdraw their ad or negotiate the lower payment. 

5. Reduced Bids from Advertisers:

Reduced Bids from AdvertisersIf in case the advertiser has identified The Click span it can impose a penalty and charge back on the publisher. Fraudulent clicks from click spam exhaust advertiser budgets and increase costs. Low conversion rates make advertisers hesitant to bid on a publisher’s ad inventory. Reputed brands may avoid bidding, further damaging the publisher’s reputation.

Solution: MagicShield

MagicBid offers a solution named Magic Shield that is an end-to-end click spam detection software that can monitor and block click spam effectively. Here’s what it provides:

  • Identifies invalid traffic.
  • Detects click spam, including clicks generated by click farms or competition.
  • Identifies sophisticated traffic generator clicks.
  • Recognizes accidental clicks.
  • Identifies duplicate clicks.

MagicShield is an asynchronous solution, meaning it doesn’t add latency or cause issues with page loads. It comes in two variants: AdUnit Monitoring and AdUnit Monitoring & Ad Blocking. Starting with monitoring and then enabling blocking is recommended.

Worried about click spam? MagicBid’s MagicShield might just be the solution you need.

Conclusion

Click spam brings out many serious consequences for the publishers that includes the loss in reputation, ad network, credibility and other financial loss. It is very much essential for the publisher to implement the vigorous measure that detects and prevents the click spamming which maintains trust along with the advertisers preserving the unification of the advertising system. With click spam publishers get many challenges beforehand that include account blockage,  invalid click, chargebacks, account blockage and low quality traffic. Enduring the same the Magic Shield, Magic Tag comes as a powerful solution that combats the click spam improving the overall appearance and the user experience of your website. 

Google March 2024 Core Update: Web Creators Do Not Miss Out

Google March 2024 Core Update: Web Creators Do Not Miss Out

The most awaited March 2024 core update has been announced and there are certain things that have been curated specifically in order to improve the quality of the search. This has been brought to tackle the low quality content and gives you an urge to make it attractive in terms of click and peoples usage. This core update has also configured about all the negative impact on the Google search result and has introduced some new policies that handles these core results in a better way.

All About Google March 2024 Core Update

This update is more comprehensive than any other usual core updates as it not only changes the core system but also evolves and teaches to identify, how helpful a content really is? Therefore, with many manipulative techniques that are related to the sub standard content, it has implemented some fresh baked spam policies which aims to counter the content problems.

The search engine algorithm and policies have been subjected to the initial enhancement. The core ranking system will now be able to show the helpful result using a variety of new signals that are more innovative and broader with its approach having a clear contrast with the multiple system to identify reliable information which was used before.

It can take over a month for rolling out this complex update as there are likely to be fluctuations and ranking as compared with the regular core update. Surprisingly, there needs to be no changes if you are a creator and creating engageable and satisfying content which are meant for people. No matter if you are ranking or not but if you are in the race of creating helpful and insightful content then you should not worry.

New Spam Policies

The new spam policies are specifically designed to address the practice that negatively impacts the quality of Google search results. The new spam policies targets to eliminate the low quality content from the search results. Google introduces three spam policies against the pre-followed bad practices: Site reputation, Scaled abuse content and expired domain abuse are the three.

On the other hand the content creators are also encouraged to review all the newly introduced spam policy and ensure that they are not following any of these practices. In case any of the site is caught violating the spam policy created they eventually will rank low or disappear from the search result. The site owner will receive the notice through a registered search console account.

Understanding Spam Policies

It is very crucial to understand the spam policies as it is directly going to affect the performance and functioning of your side. There are two ways through which the spam policies can be understood which is expired domain abuse and scaled content abuse. The former means using the malicious and unethical domains that have already expired and are purchased later by any individual or organization that has an intention to engage with stuff that provides no value to the user. For instance, if a domain that has been purchased earlier for running a medical site but later it has been re-purposed and currently hosting entertainment or any other related content with a hope that it might perform well based on previous ownership.

Scaled content abuse on other hand refers to the practice of creating a large volume of low quality content and spreading it across various online platforms to manipulate the search ranking and generate revenue. The newly introduced spam policy, certains to take action on such kind of content as per need without keeping in notice that is it generated by the human effort or through any other automation process. Therefore, as per the news spam policy you need to pay focus on providing valuable content to the user.

Site Reputation Abuse

It is the exploitation of the site for any malicious purpose. Whenever a third party page is published with no first party involvement and its clear purpose is to manipulate the search ranking and take the advantage of the first first ranking, it is called side reputation abuse. As these kind of abuse provide no value to the user it clearly is a Sham.

The new policy don’t considered the third party content to be a violation which is hosted without a close oversight and intends to manipulate the ranking. Let’s dive into an example: there are many publication that host advertising content and it has a clear intention for their regular reader rather than to primarily manipulate the search ranking. These kind of content does not create any confusion between The reader when they find it on the publisher site directly or when arriving it from the Google search result.

These kind of content needs to be blocked from the Google search so as to avoid the spam policy. The new policy regarding this will be effective from May 5th 2024.

What Ranking System Does a Site Have?

What ranking system does a site haveThe core ranking system is curated to work on the page level and it uses a variety of signal and system for a better understanding of how to rank individual pages. Site-wide signals are also considered in this process.

 

Coupon Area Concrerns

There are many coupon area concerns that is whether having a coupon area while working with a third party is considered spam? To answer this the new policy can clearly be breakdown as it says- the goal is just to improve constantly by fighting all the spam that clearly will ensure a great helpful content. Those who are producing a helpful content will succeed ahead in the search result as compared to those who are engaging in the spam. Therefore, the maintinance of the content integrity and relevancy is prominent.

Conclusion

The March 2024 core update has introduced many algorithmic changes that are design to enhance the quality of search result and subside the unoriginal content in the search result by 40%. The pivotal object is to surface the most valuable information on the web and shrink the unoriginal content and secure in the Google ranking system.

It clearly aim to curb the domain abuse with any tactics involve that enhances the search ranking of the inferior quality content. Therefore adherence to policies is decisive to maintain your search result visibility. You need to stay informed about the Google updates and prioritize giving a good experience to your user with your content. 

Types of Mobile Ad Frauds

Types of Mobile Ad Frauds

Mobile advertising faces a barrage of challenges, from ad stacking to install frauds. Fraudsters employ sophisticated techniques, disrupting and infecting mobile ad campaigns. Let’s explore the types of mobile ad frauds that plague the mobile advertising ecosystem.

Mobile ad fraud is a kind of deceptive practice that exploits the advertising system of the mobile for financial games and encompasses many fraudulent activities. It comes as a significant challenge for the advertiser, advertising platforms and all the app developers but combatting all magic bid turns out to be an ultimate solution for the same. It helps in filtering and validating all the traffic that is in accordance with the MRC guideline which is related to both general and sophisticated traffics giving you inside from the page visit. 

Different Types of Mobile Ad Frauds

Different Types of Mobile Ad Frauds

Ad Stacking:

  • Multiple ads are stacked upon each other.
  • Users engage with the top ad, but multiple advertisers are billed.
  • Fraudsters benefit numerous times per user, often without user awareness.

Attribution Fraud:

  • Fraudsters take fake credits for an app install using malware.
  • Malware tracks user activity, generating fake click reports and attributing engagement to the fraudster.
  • Fraudster gets paid for organic installs without effort.

Click Farms:

  • Physical locations where mobile ad frauds are committed using a swarm of devices and click farmers.
  • Generates fake impressions on mobile ad campaigns.
  • Evades detection by changing IP addresses through VPNs.

Click Spamming:

  • Generates fake clicks in the name of users who haven’t engaged with the ads.
  • Fraudulent apps present impressions as clicks, claiming a share of the advertiser’s budget.
  • It makes the advertising platform believe that the ads are generating a greater amount of interaction from the user perspective.
  • IVT management solutions like MagicShield offer filters to tackle click spamming.

Click Injection:

  • Fraudster hijacks the app install of real users by listening to install broadcasts.
  • Charges the click to the fraudster even before the installation is completed.
  • Uses a dormant app to inform the fraudster about the app installation.

Device ID Reset Fraud:

  • Exploits the ability of Android and iOS to reset device IDs.
  • Resets device ID after installation, making every reinstall appear as an organic install.
  • Bad actors capitalize on this opportunity to manipulate app installs.

Bundle ID Spoofing:

  • Fraudsters misrepresent ads running on one app by assigning fake identifiers to another.
  • Creates a bundle of IDs that impersonates legitimate apps, deceiving advertisers.

SDK Spoofing:

  • A malware-infused legitimate app generates clicks and impressions for a different app.
  • Engages users without marketing or installing the app.
  • Fraudsters attract engagements and impressions from another app.

Emulated Devices:

  • Simulations of mobile devices and operating systems on computers.
  • Used to generate fake impressions and engagements by creating fake users.
  • Exhausts the advertiser’s budget without genuine user engagement.

Click Redirection:

  • More common on the mobile web.
  • Redirects users to an app install landing page even when the click wasn’t intended for an ad.
  • Fraudster gets attributed for the conversion if the user downloads the app due to redirection.

Conclusion

The fraud makes adds many negative on the website that brings out financial losses which clear out all the resources. Magic Shield comes to your rescue when it comes to mobile ad fraud as it brings out all the insights from the page validating the conversion and being a one stop solution for the prevention of Mobile ad fraud. The magic tag by magicbid uses the fraud detection service that measures your viewability working with a trusted monetization source. This also verifies the IP, domain and the app bundles drilling down the traffic report. It also uses an anti Malware software that protects the page from performing worse, preventing it from any real time attack. 

News Publishers vs Social Media Traffic e-Advertising Risk?

News Publishers vs Social Media Traffic e-Advertising Risk?

In the current era, Do you know digital news publishers vs social media traffic? Digital news heavily rely on social media giants to boost their content. However, a significant shift has occurred as tech platforms distance themselves from news, leaving the digital news industry in uncertainty. This blog aims to explore the impact of this shift on digital news publishers and suggests potential solutions to tackle the challenges they now face. It turns out to be really important in this evolving digital landscape to keep a proper check on the adversities that it brings out. Magic Shield emerges out as a perfect solution that detects and block the unneeded traffic in real time and also filters the ad. 

Historical Relationship between Social Media and News Publishers

For over a decade, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter (now X), and Instagram played a crucial role in the digital news ecosystem. They served as major traffic sources, making e-advertising a viable business model for news publishers. This symbiotic relationship brought news to a global audience and generated advertising revenue.

Recent Changes and Their Impact

Recent Changes and Their ImpactRecent events, including the departure of Facebook’s top news executive and changes in X and Instagram policies, have disrupted this relationship. Even Google, a traditional ally for news organizations, has become less reliable. The decline in social media traffic has hit digital news publishers hard, impacting their e-advertising business model.

1. Decreased Advertising Revenue:

      • Less social media traffic directly leads to reduced advertising revenue for news publishers. With fewer users accessing content through social media, publishers lose a significant part of their audience, affecting ad impressions, clicks, and overall revenue.

2. Increased Competition for Ad Inventory:

      • Seeking alternative traffic sources puts news publishers in a competitive landscape for limited ad inventory. Higher competition can lead to increased advertising costs, making it challenging for publishers to run profitable e-advertising campaigns.

3. Impacts on Ad Quality and Relevance:

    • Social media platforms use extensive user data for effective ad targeting. As they distance themselves from news, publishers struggle to maintain the same level of ad quality and relevance. This may result in less effective advertising campaigns.

Solutions to Overcome Challenges

Solutions to Overcome ChallengesTo survive this threat, digital news publishers need to diversify their traffic sources. Intermediate platforms like SmartNews, Apple News, and Flipboard are gaining importance. These platforms offer an alternative to the decline in social media traffic.

1. Relying on Other Platforms:

      • Publishers are turning to platforms like Google, which remains a significant source of referral traffic. However, there are concerns about potential declines in Google referral traffic in the future.

2. Addressing Ad Fraud Vulnerabilities:

    • As publishers explore new avenues, the risk of fraudulent traffic increases. Affiliates driving traffic may engage in fraudulent tactics like click fraud. Implementing ad fraud management solutions, such as MagicShield, can help publishers combat this risk effectively.
Conclusion

The digital news publishing industry faces challenges due to the distancing of social media giants from news amplification. Therefore, magicbid enables a stronger supply chain that instantly investigates ad fraud. Publishers must diversify traffic sources, optimize for other platforms, and address the rising risk of ad fraud and also through vigilant measures as adapting to this changing landscape is crucial for the survival and credibility of digital news publishers.