Choosing the Best Ad Fraud Solution

Armed with the knowledge of what ad fraud entails and why it poses such a significant threat, you’re now poised to take the next essential step: selecting an effective ad fraud solution.

The effectiveness of an ad fraud solution can dramatically impact your marketing spend and campaign outcomes. However, not all ad fraud solutions are created equal.

By the end of this chapter, you'll not only know how to choose the best ad fraud solution but also understand why certain features and certifications are critical for protecting your digital investments.

Essential Qualities of an Effective Ad Fraud Solution

Choosing an ad fraud solution can feel daunting. After all, there are plenty of click fraud solutions out there that promise to put a stop to fraudulent activities for a low low price…

However, it’s crucial to look beyond just cost or a single feature. The most effective tools in this space offer a comprehensive approach that balances several key qualities. Advertisers must consider accuracy, thoroughness, and detailed analytics as integral components of an ad fraud detection system. This trifecta is what helps to both identify ad fraud and protect your ad spend.

Accuracy

The best ad fraud solutions should be accurate.

Not only does this mean identifying and blocking fraudulent traffic, but also making sure real visitors still have a seamless experience. A false positive rate (the rate at which legitimate actions are incorrectly flagged as fraudulent) can impact the visitor’s experience and therefore the success of your campaign.

Specifically, a high false positive rate can lead to over-blocking. When genuine interactions are mistakenly prevented it can cause a loss of revenue and hurt your brand image. Overzealous filtering may look great on paper since fraud solutions claim to block a high percentage of fraud. But how many of those blocked interactions were real visitors?

By our estimates, the average vendor misidentifies 15% of legitimate traffic as fraudulent. Considering that many consumers will walk away from a brand after just one bad experience – like being blocked from making a transaction or flagged as a bot – it’s essential to keep false positives to a minimum.

An effective ad fraud solution should be able to verify visitor data meticulously to discern between bot traffic or human fraudsters and real visitors.

Thoroughness

This takes us to the next quality: thoroughness. In other words, how good is your solution at accurately catching fraud and keeping up with new threats?

Many ad fraud solutions use a scoring system to assess the likelihood of fraud, which assigns a risk score based on various factors. However, these systems can have limitations. They may not be able to account for new or emerging types of fraud quickly enough. They might also rely too heavily on specific metrics that can be manipulated by sophisticated fraudsters.

At the same time, it’s not enough for a solution to claim a high detection rate. The precision of these detections is what truly counts. For instance, some vendors might offer the ability to "dial in" to specific fraud tolerances—mimicking another solution's reported fraud percentage. Their numbers may look great, but that doesn't mean they’re identifying more fraud accurately. Instead, they could be over-marking legitimate visitors as fraudulent, which can lead to blocking genuine interactions and damaging the visitor’s experience.

A more dynamic ad fraud solution, like Anura, can adapt to new threats in real time. By using a mix of known fraud signatures and machine learning, Anura is designed to detect and prevent all types of threats.

Analytics

What is an ad fraud solution without analytics?

It’s important to not have blind trust in your ad fraud solution. Transparency is key to understanding why ad fraud is happening and how it’s being stopped. Granular insights into flagged traffic empower your team to make informed decisions on ad spend.

However, this level of transparency can be hard to come by since many ad fraud solutions operate within a “black box” model. The decision-making process and the specifics of fraud detection are not disclosed. This lack of clarity can leave advertisers uncertain about the legitimacy of the fraud claims and the overall integrity of their campaigns.

A transparent ad fraud solution, on the other hand, offers a clear view of its analytical processes, providing advertisers with understandable metrics and evidence-backed reporting. This empowers the team with the knowledge and confidence to discuss and resolve issues with their traffic sources effectively.

Tips for Choosing the Right Ad Fraud Solution

A common myth in digital advertising is that all ad fraud solutions are essentially the same, offering similar benefits. This is far from the truth. Different solutions vary significantly in effectiveness, features, and approach.

That’s why it’s important to view ad tech solutions for fraud holistically.

Anura Competitor Comparison Chart

Filters and Real-time Decision-Making

Fraud is fundamentally binary—an action is either fraudulent or legitimate.

However, many solutions adopt a scoring system, usually ranging from 1 to 100, to evaluate traffic. Actions scoring above a certain threshold, such as 70, are recommended for blocking. This method, while structured, can lead to false positives by incorrectly labeling legitimate actions as fraudulent.

Businesses need a solution that can make accurate decisions in real time to protect their ad budgets. Real-time monitoring along with advanced algorithms are the dynamic duo that work around the clock to recognize and respond to emerging fraud tactics. This is the best way to protect your ad campaigns without interrupting genuine visitor engagement.

Industry Certifications and Standards

Another thing that separates the good solutions from the great is their accolades. Certifications such as TAG Certified Against Fraud (TAG CAF) and Media Rating Council (MRC) Accreditation are indicators of a solution’s credibility and adherence to high industry standards.

Not many fraud companies go through this third-party certification process. Maybe they’re not certified because they failed to meet requirements like undergoing regular audits or complying with data protection regulations. Perhaps they aren’t really as good at stopping fraud as they claim to be. Either way, would you trust your budget with a company that doesn’t meet the bare minimum?

Anura is proud to have earned the annual TAG Certification since 2019, reinforcing its commitment to providing a trustworthy and effective ad fraud solution. These certifications not only establish a baseline of trust but also ensure our solutions adhere to best practices in detecting and mitigating fraudulent activities.

The True Cost of Ad Fraud Solutions

While cost is a consideration when choosing an ad fraud solution, focusing too narrowly on price can be a false economy.

Not all fraud solutions are created equal. Opting for a cheaper option might seem financially prudent in the short term, but it can lead to significant losses in the long run.

The initial investment in a high-quality fraud detection system is often offset by the savings from prevented fraud. This makes the expense negligible compared to the potential direct financial losses from undetected fraudulent activities over time.

Simply put, the few dollars saved by opting for a cheaper, less effective solution can end up costing a business much more. An inadequate solution not only fails to prevent these losses but can also lead to wasted resources in dealing with the consequences of unresolved fraudulent traffic.

Consider an ad fraud solution as an investment into the security and efficiency of your advertising spend.

Finding an Ad Fraud Solution You Can Trust

There are plenty of ad fraud solutions out there, but which is the best?

This is a difficult question to answer since most companies operate within a black box. There’s minimal insight into how their decisions are made or why certain traffic is flagged. Or, they might give you the tools to dial in more or less fraud to inflate findings. This lack of clarity can leave advertisers in the dark, unsure if they are truly protecting their investment or merely blocking potential customers.

It’s important to be cautious of providers that offer you control over how their fraud detection rules operate. While this might sound nice, allowing you to tailor the system to your specific needs, it also shifts the burden of expertise onto you. Fraud is a binary issue—actions are either fraudulent or legitimate—and managing the subtleties of detection should be the responsibility of the experts you've hired, not a task for you to handle.

The best ad fraud solution is one you can trust to handle all the complexities of fraud detection on your behalf. Anura stands apart by offering granular insights into its fraud detection processes. It not only identifies suspicious traffic but also explains the reasoning behind each decision. This provides you with a clear window into what is considered fraudulent and why. This level of transparency is what helps you make the best decision for your digital marketing strategy.

Make sure to read the conclusion of this comprehensive guide to learn more facts about ad fraud. Experience the power of Anura and discover just how much fraud you have with a free trial.