The issue of metrics fraud in digital advertising is a topic that has been largely overlooked, but it is gradually gaining attention as the industry evolves. With five years of experience in the digital marketing sector, I have observed a myriad of figures and statistics, many of which are rarely scrutinized.
In the fast-paced digital era, where decisions are expected to be made in less than three days, companies are investing millions in online advertising without considering the potential for fraud. While we would like to believe that all online businesses operate with integrity, it's crucial to understand what's happening behind the scenes. In an economy where business valuations can skyrocket based on traffic analysis, unscrupulous individuals may be tempted to inflate their site's statistics for personal gain. Despite many websites having their traffic numbers audited by third-party vendors, there are numerous sites that self-regulate their numbers, expecting us to trust them blindly.
The internet, often likened to a lawless frontier, has prompted many savvy and forward-thinking individuals to advocate for standards. These standards should not only apply to programming languages but also to various aspects of e-business. While we await these standards, it's essential to be responsible consumers and question where our advertising dollars are being spent.
I am aware of a large internet company that was spending hundreds of thousands of dollars monthly on online advertising, oblivious to the fact that almost a quarter of their ad buy was going to unaudited websites. These websites could have inflated their numbers or demographics to justify a higher Cost Per Mille (CPM), and there's no way to verify it!
When organizing ad buys for my clients, I ensure I know where every dollar is going and who it's going to. Before committing to a network buy, I obtain a complete site list of every site that I will run on and scrutinize each site individually. I ask each site whether their traffic is audited, find out which company audits the site, and verify that statement with the auditing house.
While this process may seem time-consuming, it's crucial to consider the potential consequences. If you spend your client's ad dollars on websites that could overinflate their traffic numbers, you risk losing a client. Treat your client's money as if it were your own and understand where it's going and on which sites it will be spent.
In my experience, some networks may view you as "just another customer" and may focus on easier customers if you start asking questions they don't have a prepared answer for. The key is persistence. Explain to the network that you won't make them money without answers to your questions. Don't hesitate to switch to another sales representative at that network if necessary.
Always document everything and verify the information provided to you. Just because a website claims to be audited by a certain agency doesn't necessarily mean it's true. Contact the supposed auditing agency and verify their relationship with the website. Conduct your own investigation to ensure the facts are indeed facts and not fiction.
Remember, the internet is a wild place right now, and there's a lot of money to be made or lost. Regardless of your role in purchasing online advertisements, it's your responsibility to spend that money wisely. Scrutinize your ad buys and the companies you deal with. If a company is honest, they will have nothing to hide. If a company is dishonest, your investigative work should save your reputation and ad dollars - and in this digital economy, Return on Investment (ROI) is all that matters.
