Maximise Paid Media Profit with Click Fraud Prevention

Click fraud in eCommerce refers to invalid or non-incremental clicks on paid ads that do not contribute to real revenue. This includes competitor bots scraping prices, automated scripts inflating clicks, reseller bots abusing campaigns, and returning customers repeatedly clicking ads without adding incremental value. These clicks waste ad spend and distort optimisation signals in platforms like Google Ads and Performance Max.

Click fraud reduces eCommerce profitability by inflating CPCs, training bidding algorithms on fake or non-incremental behaviour, and diverting budget away from genuine new buyers. Even when ROAS appears healthy, profit per customer can decline as spend is absorbed by bots, scrapers, and repeat users who would have converted anyway.

The most common types of click fraud in eCommerce include price-scraping bots, reseller bots targeting product launches, non-incremental returning users, fake cart and pixel events, and automated traffic that pollutes remarketing audiences. These issues are especially prevalent in Shopping, Performance Max, and retargeting campaigns.

eCommerce brands can stop price-scraping bots by using click fraud prevention software that blocks invalid traffic in real time, before the click reaches the site. Tools like TrafficGuard identify scraper behaviour at the network and behavioural level, preventing bots from inflating CPCs or extracting competitive pricing data.

Returning customers often click paid ads to navigate back to a site instead of using organic or direct channels. These clicks are non-incremental and increase re-acquisition costs without adding new revenue. Over time, automated bidding systems prioritise these users because they convert easily, which raises CPCs and limits reach to net-new buyers.

Google Ads and Performance Max provide basic invalid traffic filtering, but they optimise primarily for volume and spend, not profitability. They do not reliably detect non-incremental users, price scrapers, or behaviour that becomes unprofitable over time. This is why many eCommerce brands use dedicated click fraud protection for eCommerce to correct blind spots in real time.

Click fraud pollutes Performance Max optimisation by feeding algorithms false engagement signals such as bot clicks, fake carts, and repeat user behaviour. Once these signals dominate, campaigns optimise toward noise rather than real buyers. Cleaning signals can take weeks or months unless invalid behaviour is removed before it shapes optimisation.

eCommerce marketers should look for click fraud prevention software that offers real-time blocking, user-level validation, cross-channel coverage, and transparent reporting. The best solutions prevent unprofitable behaviour before spend is wasted, protect optimisation signals, and improve profit per customer without requiring higher budgets.