Despite Demonstrable Returns, Search Engine Advertising Still Perilous

New book reveals hidden dangers of click fraud.

Thousand Oaks, CA (PRWEB) July 28, 2004 -- If you listen to some experts, paying for placement on search engines increasingly offers the best return on investment of any form of direct marketing. A book recently published warns that click fraud could make such advertising more expensive.

According to author Catherine Seda, click fraud, or repeatedly clicking on a web page to increase the cost a business pays for per-click advertising, is a real danger for companies in highly-competitive industries.

not all of it is caught. Because malicious clickers aren't typically confronted by search engines or advertisers this activity isn't deterred either.

In her new book, "Search Engine Advertising, Buying Your Way to the Top to Increase Sales" (New Riders Publishing 2004), Seda explains that click fraud is likely costing some companies thousands of dollars every month, even though many search engines have protective systems in place.

"Even with search engines taking an active role policing click fraud," Seda writes, "not all of it is caught. Because malicious clickers aren't typically confronted by search engines or advertisers this activity isn't deterred either."

According to Seda's new book, these "malicious clickers" could be anyone, including a business' competitor.

"When a business is paying several dollars per click," Seda says, "it's doesn't take many fraudulent clicks to drain an advertiser's budget. Some advertisers with a fixed maximum budget might drop out of the premium positions for a while, allowing competitors to jump in, often at less-expensive click rates."

Seda also sites another culprit responsible for increasing per click costs: the professional clicker. In places like India, small armies are being paid by the click to visit web sites. By whom, you ask? Seda says this activity is linked to the sites which host search engines results on their sites and are paid by the search engines for each click they provide.

So what can you do about click fraud? According to Seda, there are manual tracking techniques for reviewing site traffic log files. There are also now third-party auditing tools on the market to monitor click behavior. Entrepreneurs who are concerned could monitor click fraud quarterly, while corporations with larger ad budgets should probably plan for a monthly review.

Catherine Seda is president and CEO of Seda Communication, an Internet marketing and training company. She is giving a groundbreaking seminar series in several cities around the country this fall. For more information, visit: www.SedaCommunication.com

CONTACT:
Catherine Seda
805-551-1290

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