I recently had the chance to catch up with Blowsearch and hear their short and sweet take on click fraud, new search developments, and how the company is doing. Marcelo Fuenzalida, a Blowsearch partner, was kind enough to give me a few of his thoughts.
What is click fraud?
MF: Click Fraud is when (people or organizations) out on the Internet generate automated clicks to simulate internet end users clicking on paid advertiser links attempting to defraud search companies.
How does it affect searchers at large?
MF: It does not really affect searchers or Internet end users. It mostly affects companies advertising on the internet.
How does it affect companies?
MF: It affects companies in a very negative way because automated clicks can create false traffic. This false traffic is then sold to advertisers who are advertising ultimately to make a ROI either by attracting new customers, selling more products or generating more viewers for the websites. In the end the advertisers lose money because they are paying for traffic and viewership that really does not exist. This causes advertisers to either lose business or profits. The advertiser will then stop advertising on the internet or on PPC thereby hurting the search company's revenues. Its' a negative for everyone involved and an issue that must be addressed.
How is BlowSearch addressing click fraud?
MF: Here at BlowSearch we have developed a technology called "Click Defender," designed to authenticate valid clicks.
Explain how Click Defender works.
MF:Click defender checks 20 different check-points on a click-through. These points can only be generated by a human.
New developments BlowSearch is working on?
MF: At this time we are continuing to develop Click Defender. Our hope is to be able to license it out to the search industry in the future.
