DIGITAL MARKETING
Digital Marketing 16 March
16-03-2006
by Ciara O'Brien
Google settles click fraud suit | Teens more receptive to online advertising
Google settles click fraud suit: Google is on the verge of settling a class action suit taken by disgruntled AdWords clients for click fraud. Although Google has not yet announced an exact figure, the settlement is not expected to exceed USD90 million.
Click fraud occurs when an internet user deliberately clicks on an advertisement without any intention of buying a product. The legal action was brought against Google by a number of customers in Arkansas.
"We've been discussing the case with the plaintiffs for some time and have recently come to an agreement with them which we believe is a good outcome for everyone involved," Google said in its blog.
At present advertisers can apply for reimbursement for clicks they believe are invalid. Google currently imposes a 60-day time limit on these fraudulent clicks, but under the terms of the settlement, advertisers who believe they have been charged for fraudulent clicks can apply for credits from Google going back to the beginning of the cost per click programme in 2002.
There are a number of instances where click fraud can occur, for example when rivals click ads to force its competitors' costs up, or when a website carries pay-per-click ads and makes commission for each ad clicked on the website. Google charges for each click, regardless of whether or not it is legitimate, although it makes some effort to screen out invalid clicks.
"We have said for some time that we believe we manage the problem of invalid clicks very well," the company said. "We have a large team of expert engineers and analysts devoted to it. By far, most invalid clicks are caught by our automatic filters and discarded before they reach an advertiser's bill. And for the clicks that are not caught in advance, advertisers can notify Google and ask for reimbursement."
Teens more receptive to online advertising: Advertisers trying to reach European teenagers would do well to note new research which claims that young people take more note of online advertising. According to research carried out on behalf of MSN, teenagers find online ads more effective than other media, following a trend that has already been seen in the US.
According to the research 19 percent of Europe's youth market surveyed found that online ads were the most informative type of advertising, while 15 percent found it most relevant, saying that it reflected advances in creativity within the sector that had been witnessed over the past few years.
Building your list: Denise Cox says that in order to build a subscription list you need to be proactive about securing subscriber attention.
