Bots load ads related to expensive keywords; then they click on the ads on the search partner sites and sometimes even pass an affiliate link to set an affiliate cookie.

1. How Click
Fraud Works
Dr. Augustine Fou
http://linkd.in/augustinefou
acfou @mktsci .com
November 2013
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Augustine Fou

2. Bad Guys Choose Expensive Keywords
olay.com
homemadesimple.com
> 100,000 monthly searches
avg position 1 – 10
sort by highest avg CPC
“cosmetic face lift”
“residential home cleaning”
$10.84 CPC
$9.95 CPC
Source: iSpionage Nov 2013
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Augustine Fou

3. Bots Type Search Term
healthsiteproduc tionalways.com
buy eye cream online
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Augustine Fou

4. Bots Click Search Ad
Olay.com ad
in #1 position
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Augustine Fou

5. Pass Fake URL Trackers
http://www.olay.com/skincare-products/OlayProX?utm_source=msn&utm
_medium=cpc&utm_camp
aign=Olay_Search_Deskto
p_Category+Interest+Prod
uct.Phrase&utm_term=eye
%20cream&utm_content=
TZsrSzFz_eye%20cream_
p_2990456911
Click thru URL
passing fake source
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Augustine Fou

6. Another Example
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Augustine Fou

7. analyzecanceradvice.com
$1.31 CPC
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Augustine Fou

8. analyzecanceradvice.com
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Augustine Fou

9. Cascadeclean.com
http://www.cascadecl
ean.com/us/cascade/?
utm_source=bing&ut
m_medium=cpc&ut
m_term=dishwashers
%20detergent&utm_
campaign=Cascade_
Search_Desktop_Cat
egory+Interest_7.13
&utm_content=fWX
aDoYk|d_299859231
4_e_dishwashers%2
0detergent
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Augustine Fou

10. Examples of
Suspicious Sites
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Augustine Fou

11. Other Bad Guy Domains
http://analyzecanceradvice .com
http://analyzecancerhelp .com
http://bestcanceropinion .com
http://bestcancerproducts .com
http://bestcancerresults .com
http://besthealthopinion .com
http://bettercanceradvice .com
http://bettercancerhelp .com
http://betterhealthopinion .com
http://findcanceropinion .com
http://findcancerresource .com
http://findcancertopics .com
http://findhealthopinion .com
http://finestcanceradvice .com
http://finestcancerhelp .com
http://finestcancerresults .com
http://getcancerproducts .com
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36,000+ more
sites like these,
designed to show
search ads and
self-click on them
to siphon CPC
revenue
Augustine Fou

12. Screen Shots of Sites
Alexa
[no data]
Compete
[no data]
Quantcast
[no data]
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Augustine Fou

13. Keyword Stuffed Pages
Alexa
[no data]
Compete
[no data]
Quantcast
[no data]
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Augustine Fou

14. Identical Template Sites
http://picturesandbox.com/screengrab/grid.php
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Augustine Fou

15. Dozens of Identical Sites
Source: more screen captures
http://picturesandbox.com/screengrab/grouped.php
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Augustine Fou

16. Related Articles
Bad Guys Happily Rob Display Advertisers
By: Augustine Fou, July 23, 2012
Everything Fake (Display Ad Fraud, Search Click Fraud)
By: Augustine Fou, April 2013
How Display Ad Fraud Works
By: Augustine Fou, May 2013
What Suspect Site Traffic and Gray-hat Techniques Look Like
By: Augustine Fou, October 2013
Video Ad Fraud Investigation, Part 1
By: Augustine Fou, October 2013
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Augustine Fou

17. Dr. Augustine Fou – Digital Consigliere
“I advise clients on optimizing
advertising across all channels. Using
insights and fast-feedback loops from
digital, we can not only target brand ads
better, but we can detect and mitigate ad
fraud and waste.”
FORMER CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER, HCG (OMNICOM)
MCKINSEY CONSULTANT
CLIENT SIDE / AGENCY SIDE EXPERIENCE
PROFESSOR AND COLUMNIST
ENTREPRENEUR / SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
PHD MATERIALS SCIENCE (MIT '95) AT AGE 23
ClickZ Articles: http://bit.ly/augustine-fou-clickz
Slideshares: http://bit.ly/augustine-fou-slideshares
LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/augustinefou
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@acfou
Augustine Fou