Why Click Fraud Punishes Mom and Pop

As reported in ClickZ, a new click fraud suit against Google has pushed the topic back into the fray of current conversation. The article notes that we’ve seen a rise of about 16% in apparent click fraud since the end of last year. That’s a notable increase and great reason to always be thinking about the value of clicks (or lack thereof).

What’s also notable is that the suit was filed by a local locksmith rather than the large, national advertisers more commonly associated with these stories. With digital advertising being “the accountable advertising” more mom and pop shops are utilizing these services. Unfortunately, most of them think a click means a new visitor to their site, and they don’t know the complexities of online metrics. At a time when even the largest agencies are struggling to understand all the reporting available, the influx of small, local advertisers is only going to make matters worse.

Undertone is continually working with our clients to help craft strategies that meet the overall campaign needs – not simply to drive a single metric. And there are other digital media outlets at the ready to provide a similar level of service. But for mom and pop, the obvious way onto the information superhighway (yes, many of them still call it that) is through Google. And if Google gets them what they want when they search, it must be the best way to start advertising online, too. Unfortunately Google’s self-service model really requires a deep understanding of the industry. And mom and pop just don’t have the time to get that.