PPC diagnostics
PPC click fraud: how to investigate suspicious paid search traffic
High spend and weak conversions do not automatically mean click fraud. Use a structured audit to separate malicious clicks from search intent, page and tracking problems.
Start with the symptom, not the accusation
Common symptoms include sudden cost spikes, repeated visits, leads with false contact details, clicks outside target areas and campaigns that spend without measurable engagement. Each symptom has several possible causes.
| Symptom | Possible traffic issue | Also check |
|---|---|---|
| Many clicks, few sessions | Automated or accidental clicks | Tag loading, redirects and consent |
| Repeated clicks | Competitor or bot activity | Shared IPs and returning buyers |
| Spam leads | Automated form submissions | Lead validation and campaign intent |
| Wrong locations | Proxy or incentivized traffic | Presence versus interest targeting |
A minimum PPC audit dataset
Export a 7–30 day period with campaign, search term or placement, timestamp, cost, click ID, country, device, session engagement and downstream conversion result. Keep personally identifiable customer data out of the file.
Prioritize by wasted spend
Start with campaigns where suspicious signals and cost overlap. A hundred questionable clicks on a low-cost campaign may matter less than ten repeated clicks on an expensive legal or finance keyword.
What to do after the audit
- Correct tracking and landing-page failures first.
- Tighten locations, search terms and placements.
- Feed qualified conversion data back to the ad platform.
- Document click IDs, time ranges and repeatable evidence.
- Use click fraud protection software only when ongoing monitoring is economically justified.
Run a first-pass PPC audit.
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