| LED Digest 2195: Click Fraud & Domain Ransom |
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List Moderator: Published by:
Adam Audette LED Digest
adam, led-digest.com http://www.led-digest.com
..............................................
July 3, 2006 Issue no. 2195
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.....IN THIS DIGEST.....
===== NEW ======================
<Moderator Comment>
--== Click Fraud ==--
~ Karl Baldwin
"...click fraud is running rampant with very
little protection from those PPC providers..."
--== Domain Ransom ==--
~ Marty R. Milette
"If you have a domain and your name does
not fill the Whois record - get it fixed and fast!"
==== CONTINUING =================
--== AdSense PPA Beta Program ==--
~ Susie Redfern
"I use a flat-rate advertising structure for
two reasons..."
~ Mary Lee
"...I see this becoming the new AdSense
advertising model."
--== Selling on Amazon ==--
~ Nancy Schettler
"Wouldn't it be harder for your products to
be found in an Amazon zshop..."
~ R. Black
"...Google's coming offering will be the straw
that breaks Amazons back..."
==== BILLBOARD ===================
--== Swaying Alexa Rankings ==--
~ Malcolm Bailey
========== NEW ===================================
<Moderator Comment>
The post below from Karl Baldwin was originally published last
February (issue 2091). I noticed recently while adding it to the LED
site database that there wasn't a single reply. Perhaps it's a good
time to revisit this and maybe get an update from Karl.
-adam
--------------------
From: Karl Baldwin
Subject: Click Fraud
Caution To My Fellow LEDers,
I have been quite successful at generic SEO since 1997. I have also
utilized PPC, starting with GO-TO.com (aka: Overture; aka Yahoo!
Search Marketing). Watching several of my campaigns with multiple
PPC “organizations” I observed unrealistic spikes periodically
(normal 20 to 50 clicks per day suddenly jumping to 800 or 900 for a
day or 2) and after reporting, I was getting absolutely no credible
response or refund from any customer support.
So I recently set up a filtering sever (AdWatcher.com). It works
like this. They give you a web address to use so that when your PPC
link is clicked on, your “sponsored” key word link goes through the
filtering proxy server, which records the pertinent clickers
information, then serves up your actual website to the searcher.
This all happens unnoticeably to the searcher, who then sees your
website. If the same IP address clicks on your advertisement PPC
multiple times in a short period of time, you receive an email
report that a person has most likely performed fraudulent click
activity. From these reports one can generate a “Fraudulent Click
Report / Refund Request” and send it to the particular PPC provider.
Therein lies the rub. I have many PPC accounts with various search
companies, but only 2 such PPC accounts that I have subscribed to
the AdWatcher.com service; MIVA and Yahoo! Search Marketing. In all
fairness, Yahoo! has responded, with what seems to be minimally
diligent and but appropriate responses, but only after a 2 or 3 day
delay. MIVA, on the other hand, has consistently thrown up road
block after stalling road block in responding to my “Fraudulent
Click Report/Refund Requests.” I’ll abbreviate this, yet provide but
one conversation thread I recently had with MIVA after submitting a
click fraud report. As of today, I have not received any
satisfaction on this or any of the other fraud reports I have sent
to MIVA.
MIVA Said:
-------------------------
What is the Dates/Time in Question?
What Keyword(s) are the ones that you notice more clicks on?
Did you have any Conversions on PPCs during the dates in question?
Did you make any changes in bid amounts?
Were any additional keywords added to the account during the dates
in question?
Did you do any status changes on any of the keyword ads?
Did you make any title and description changes during the dates in
question:
Do you have any emails that you can send us with your Server log
files to view your traffic and compare it with our results?
We will wait for your response to our questions mentioned above and
then we will run the traffic review request on your behalf. We
usually wan the ads to be place to offline status during the review
but as you had mentioned before at this point your ads are in
offline status already. It usually takes 24-48 hours in order for us
to get a resolution to the traffic review and then we will email you
with the results.
-------------------------
Karl Baldwin answered:
-------------------------
I already told you the time and date in the report. Why do you keep
asking me the same questions over and over?
1. 01-28-2006 12:22:30 PM until 01-28-2006 12:22:38 PM. 12:22:38
minus 12:22:30 equals 8 seconds, sequentially, on the same day.
Sheeeeesh!!!
2. They landed on my Georgia ad so if they used one of my 2 keyword
phrases, it would have been either "georgia cabin rental" or "north
georgia cabin rentals."
3. I already told you, my website does not monitor conversions
because there aren’t any.
4. No, I have not made any changes to bids, keywords, status, title
or description.
-------------------------
Below [is 1 of the 2] fraud alerts I received today from my
AdWatcher server.
-------------------------
1st alert - Subject: AdWatcher Fraud Alert - 01-28-2006 12:22:30 PM
Dear Karl,
AdWatcher has detected suspicious activity going on with your Miva -
GA campaign. Please review the details listed below:
Campaign: Miva - GA
Total Clicks: 5
IP Address: xx.xx.xxx.xxx
Browser: IE 6.x and above
Time: 01-28-2006 12:22:30 PM
Warmest Regards,
The AdWatcher Support Team
-------------------------
My final message; click fraud is running rampant with very little
protection from those PPC providers. Their incentive is to let the
fraudulent clik$$$ go through. Get a PPC filter as it is every bit
as important as a firewall. If you have a data trail, your court
claims for a $75 refund or a $750,000 will be obviously valuable.
PS I have no affiliation with AdWatcher.com other than being a
very happy subscriber.
Best Regards,
Karl L. Baldwin
MountainLodging™
Vacation Cabin Rental Listing Service
-------- new post - new topic --------
From: Marty R. Milette
Subject: Domain Ransom
A very common problem (in Russia at least) is where registrars, ISPs
and web development companies will register a domain in THEIR name
instead of the CUSTOMER's name -- later, holding the domain for
ransom later.
Customers are quite often completely ignorant and don't even realize
that there is a problem until AFTER they decide to change service
providers and find they do not even control or own their domain name.
I cannot even count the number of times I've been called in to
'save' a domain. Sometimes with success -- other times needing to
register new domains for the customer.
BEWARE! If you have a domain and YOUR name does not fill the WHOIS
record -- get it fixed and FAST!
Marty R. Milette
======== CONTINUING ===============================
From: Susie Redfern
Subject: Google PPA
> But what I would really like to see is more of
> a "flat-rate" advertising option. Pricing per month
> or week could still be set via bidding, but it would
> remove all of the nasty aspects that we now see,
> don't see, or won't admit to with current PPC model.
- Chris Nielsen, LED 2194
I was most interested in Chris Nielsen's comment about flat rate
advertising, which I agree with.
I have a website that has advertising "member-based pages", almost
exclusively from private schools and day care centers, primarily in
the Greater Chicago area at the present time. I use a flat-rate
advertising structure for two reasons:
(1) My advertisers are service-based, so PPC would be inappropriate
and impractical for both my advertisers and myself, and
(2) I lack the appropriate software and/or programming skills to use
PPC (in other words, it's a lot of hassle that doesn't make sense in
my situation anyway).
I also have a very nominal annual advertising fee, so my clients, if
you will, don't have to choose between advertising with me and
advertising elsewhere. This also is very easy to bill and keep track
of with a simple Word file.
Just my opinion on this.
Susie Redfern
ParentLink Info Services
-------- new post - same topic --------
From: Mary Lee
Subject: Google PPA
> ... this program will not replace PPC, it will
> be an additional service from Google. The
> PPC program is Google's revenue core.
- Claudiu Spulber, LED 2194
From what I understand it is only in it's Beta testing stage, which
is why there are only certain advertisers and content providers
participating. It appears they are planning it as a separate
advertising model. My guess is that those that are currently using
the Conversion option in Adwords would be able to advertise in this
CPA network when it goes live. These people already have the
conversion tracking code in place.
Due to the prevalence of click fraud I see this becoming the new
AdSense advertising model. They are calling it the Content Referral
Network and it is being tested on AdSense. I personally dropped all
content network advertising because of the click fraud. My cost of
conversion was costing more than the sale on the content networks! I
dumped that advertising very fast. I really think that as click
fraud becomes more of a problem that Google is finding it's
advertisers avoiding content network advertising. This CPA model
could change that.
I do not believe that the model will be able to be used for phone
call results as there is no way for Google to track those results.
Mary Lee
Dinner and a Murder Mystery Games
-------- new post - new topic ---------
From: Nancy Schettler
Subject: Amazon selling
> Maybe [R. Black] was referring to selling in
> the marketplace rather than being a 3rd party
> seller in one of the stores (we are a store).
- S. Marino, LED 2194
Wouldn't it be harder for your products to be found in an Amazon
zshop, rather than just to be in the marketplace? Because a
potential customer has to click on "zshops", rather than just type a
desired product into the search box? You get totally different
search results that way...
Or am I missing something? Is it just "marketplace" vs. "zshop" or
is a third-party merchant something different still?
Nancy Schettler
A Well Dressed Kitchen
-------- new post - same topic --------
From: R. Gordon
Subject: Amazon selling
> We have been selling on Amazon as a retailer in
> apparel for over 2 years (have had our own site for
> 7 years) and have a positive experience.
- Scott Marino, LED 2194
Perhaps apparel is not too competitive, try selling within Amazons
electronics areas, books on and on. You will find sellers altering
listings, you will find consumers ripping you off. Quite easy to do
at Amazon.
You are in the business seller class they call seller central. The
one that gets to change shipping prices etc. The one that gets paid
every 2 weeks when marketplace sellers get daily payout. Perhaps
your lucky enough to get featured which would explain your sales. If
your not featured forget it.
Maybe you do not understand what banks and business consider small
business success. We have a 99% rating at Amazon. One of our
suppliers, gets featured we do not. They see sales every 3-5 minutes
literally with basically the same products at higher prices. The
site is biased in sellers. Again, just go read the forums at Amazon.
Don't even bother. Simply look at the companies stock performance.
It is my estimate that you probably better start seeking a new sales
venue as it is appearing that Amazon will more than likely go under.
It is a fairly good estimate that googles coming offering will be
the straw that breaks Amazons back and they deserve it.
Perhaps you should review what was stated in the lawsuit Toys R Us
brought against Amazon. Every facet of what was stated is true and
proven as fact.
As to the other comment,
> After reading your 16-point checklist of complaints,
> I am confused as to why you are still using Amazon
> as a marketplace to sell your goods.
- Paul Campanella, LED 2194
This represents your classic Amazon seller. Why? Because money is
money thats why. We are waiting for Googles venue as are literally
thousands of other sellers at Amazon. I have actually spoken to
Google reps and they apparently are all too aware of the opportunity.
Again, its nice that people are sellers there. But all one has to do
is read the forums at Amazons own site, read what is said about
Amazon stock which for a year and a half now has under performed and
Amazon constantly makes excuses as to why. Take a look at Amazons
ideas like, "A match making service based on what people buy". Must
be the absolute stupidest thing I have ever heard of. Why you cant
even book an item to ship via the postal service at the site! Amazon
has not made ANY huge advancement at their site in years while
others have.
Amazons auction venue failed, Amazons zShops venue failed. If you
care to read Amazons forums their marketplace is now failing. They
even managed to botch the deal with Toys R Us which was a 50 million
dollar a year upfront contract. The next events you will see will be
Amazons stock downgraded again to sell. When this happens the
company is doomed. Googles offering will be the topping on the cake.
The only reason Amazon has continually failed over the past several
years is Amazon. Look at CompUSA at eBay and the fine ratings or at
overstock. Then look at Amazon where its horrible. The company does
nothing different from site to site. The difference is Amazon
provides a venue by which consumers can do as they please without
recourse or reprocussion.
Presently the only reason Amazon survives is the lack of competition
of third party sites. Google will change this and there will still
then be two sites, Amazon will be dead.
R. Black
==== BILLBOARD ===================================
From: Malcolm Bailey
Subject: Swaying Alexa Rankings
Hi Adam et al,
I just thought that I'd share this link on why you really shouldn't
take too much stock in Alexa rankings - it seems they can be swayed
by a single news story...
http://snipurl.com/sn4t [blogcadre.com]
Cheers,
Malcolm Bailey
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