Knowledge Base

Google Click Fraud: Causes, Detection, and Prevention

While Google Ads is one of the most widely used platforms in digital advertising, there's a significant threat that can overshadow the success of campaigns: click fraud. To prevent your advertising budget from going to bots or malicious individuals instead of real customers, this guide systematically explains all detection and protection methods.

What is Click Fraud?

Click fraud is when a Google Ads ad is clicked without genuine customer intent. These clicks can be;

• For competitive purposes,

• To generate income fraudulently,

• Or through malware.

Result: You can't reach real customers, and your budget is consumed unnecessarily.

Main Causes of Click Fraud

Detection Methods and Practical Examples

1. Google Ads Reports

• Abnormal click-through rates (CTR > 15% but conversion = 0) → alarm!

• Analyze low-quality scores and high-cost keywords

• Compare "Audience Segments" > "New Users" with old traffic

2. Google Analytics Compatible Behavior Tracking

• Session duration < 5 seconds

• Page depth = 1 (only landing page)

• Check if Bounce Rate > 90%

3. Analysis with UTM and Tag Manager Usage

• Separate campaign-based traffic sources

• Which campaign/channel/device is generating more conversions? Which one is just clicking?

4. IP Tracking and DNS Monitoring

• Getting 5+ clicks from the same IP address is suspicious

• Download server logs > awk '{print $1}' access.log | sort | uniq -c | sort -nr

5. Reporting to Google with the Suspicious Click Form

• Suspicious Click Notification Form

• Google examines the relevant IP and may issue a refund

️ Effective Prevention Strategies

1. Improving Ad Targeting

• IP region, city, device, time, and demographic-based restriction

• Put groups that behave outside the audience into the "excluded" segment

2. Negative Keyword Usage

• Mark words like "free", "demo", "sample", "course" as negative

• Google Ads > Keywords > Negative Keyword Lists

3. Hour-Based Ad Scheduling

• Turn off impressions during nighttime hours (e.g., 00:00-06:00)

• Get hourly performance reports, not daily

4. Page-Based Security Against Bots

• JavaScript-tracked captcha

• IP + user agent matched visitor control (Rate Limiting)

• Install a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

5. Google Ads Advanced Targeting Settings

• Target only physical locations with "Advanced location targeting"

• Select only target market languages with "Language targeting"

• Activate only devices that bring conversions with "Device targeting"

Automatic Protection with 3rd Party Tools

Advanced Protection in Mobile Campaigns

• Show the "Call extension" only during working hours

• Switch to the direct form collection method using "Lead form extension"

• A daily limit of 1 click per device is recommended (can be done with 3rd party)

Sector-Based CPC Ranges (2025 Estimate)

Advanced Security & Tracking Form (Example)

• Form Fields:

  • utm_campaign

  • IP address (get with PHP or JS)

  • Device type (mobile/desktop)

  • Browser information

  • Time spent on page

• Prevent form submission if this information is missing

Conclusion

Combating click fraud should not be left solely to Google's filtering algorithm. By analyzing user behavior behind clicks, traffic sources, and device information, you can create safer and more sustainable campaigns.

Budget is valuable for every business. Implementing advanced click fraud analysis and protection strategies to direct this budget to users who will bring real conversions is critical for long-term success.