{"id":736743,"date":"2026-07-03T05:25:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T02:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T05:25:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T02:25:17","slug":"a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/","title":{"rendered":"A Google Ads targeting tactic that cut invalid clicks by 50%"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a49aacfc00ba\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a49aacfc00ba\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#After_Google_said_it_had_already_filtered_suspicious_activity_this_unexpected_approach_restored_campaign_profitability\" >After Google said it had already filtered suspicious activity, this unexpected approach restored campaign profitability.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#Case_study_How_we_cut_invalid_clicks_by_50\" >Case study: How we cut invalid clicks by 50%<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#What_click_fraud_and_%E2%80%98invalid_clicks_actually_are\" >What click fraud and \u2018invalid clicks\u2019 actually are<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#Why_the_usual_defenses_sometimes_fall_short\" >Why the usual defenses sometimes fall short<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#The_tactic_Add_audiences_set_to_%E2%80%98Targeting\" >The tactic: Add audiences set to \u2018Targeting\u2019<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#How_to_test_this_in_your_own_account\" >How to test this in your own account<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#Common_questions_about_fighting_click_fraud\" >Common questions about fighting click fraud<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#Will_Google_refund_clicks_it_identifies_as_invalid\" >Will Google refund clicks it identifies as invalid?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#How_do_I_see_how_many_invalid_clicks_Im_getting\" >How do I see how many invalid clicks I\u2019m getting?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#Whats_a_normal_invalid_click_rate\" >What\u2019s a normal invalid click rate?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#Should_I_file_an_investigation_with_Google\" >Should I file an investigation with Google?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#Why_this_approach_worked_best\" >Why this approach worked best<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-google-ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\/#Topics_on_this_page\" >Topics on this page<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"After_Google_said_it_had_already_filtered_suspicious_activity_this_unexpected_approach_restored_campaign_profitability\"><\/span>After Google said it had already filtered suspicious activity, this unexpected approach restored campaign profitability.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\n<p>Advertisers are estimated to lose <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fraudblocker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Ad-Fraud-Whitepaper_Juniper-Research.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$172 billion<\/a> a year due to ad fraud by 2028.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The problem is especially common in industries with high competition and CPCs. One of our clients operated in just such an industry, where high invalid click activity was tanking campaign performance.<\/p>\n<p>By adjusting Google Ads targeting, we reduced invalid-click activity by 50% and restored profitable performance.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"case-study-how-we-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Case_study_How_we_cut_invalid_clicks_by_50\"><\/span>Case study: How we cut invalid clicks by 50%<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Our client sold book editing and ghostwriting services. The search terms that triggered our ads were relevant and high intent. Yet the traffic wasn\u2019t converting at anywhere near a profitable rate.<\/p>\n<p>We quickly identified signs of click fraud, including:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Google reporting a 60% to 80% invalid click rate.<\/li>\n<li>Microsoft Clarity recordings showing bot-like behavior from Google Ads traffic.<\/li>\n<li>80%+ click-through rates across numerous search terms, with some exceeding 100%.<\/li>\n<li>Far fewer sessions in GA4 and other analytics tools than the number of clicks Google Ads reported.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We tried third-party click fraud tools but saw no measurable performance improvement.<\/p>\n<p>Next, we filed an investigation with Google. Google agreed there was suspicious activity but said it had caught it all and hadn\u2019t charged for it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1226\" height=\"1282\" http: alt=\"Image 11\" class=\"wp-image-481492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-11.png 1226w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-11-768x803.png 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1226px) 100vw, 1226px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-11.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1226\" height=\"1282\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-11.png\" alt=\"Image 11\" class=\"wp-image-481492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-11.png 1226w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-11-768x803.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1226px) 100vw, 1226px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>We were confident Google wasn\u2019t filtering out all the invalid activity, so we took matters into our own hands.<\/p>\n<p>We added 540 Google-defined audiences set to \u201cTargeting\u201d to our Google Search campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>The invalid click rate im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely dropped by 50%, and the conversion rate increased to profitable levels.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll explain why we tested this <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach and why we believe it worked.<\/p>\n<p>First, let\u2019s review what invalid clicks are and the standard ways advertisers combat them.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: radial-gradient(circle at 30% 40%, rgba(184, 111, 255, 0.15), rgba(0, 169, 255, 0.15) 40%, #CDE8FD 70%); padding: 30px; width: 100%; max-width: 802px; color: #000000 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 25px 0 30px 0; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); position: relative; box-sizing: border-box;\">\n<div style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: left; padding-right: 20px; box-sizing: border-box;\">\n<div id=\"semrush-one-headline\" class=\"headline-responsive\" style=\"font-family: Oswald, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; color: #000000 !important; line-height: 1.2;\">\n        See exactly how <span style=\"background: linear-gradient(90deg, #D56EFE 0%, #068EF8 51%); -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-clip: text;\">your competitors win<\/span>.\n      <\/div>\n<p id=\"semrush-one-subhead\" style=\"font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 25px; margin: 12px 0 0 0; color: #000000 !important;\">\n        Uncover the keywords, ads, landing pages, and strategies driving your competitors\u2019 paid search success\u2014and find your next opportunity to outperform them.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\">\n      <span id=\"semrush-one-cta\" style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: #FF642D; color: white; height: 44px; border: none; border-radius: 5px; cursor: pointer; font-size: 16px; padding: 0 24px; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 44px;\">Analyze your competitors<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<style>\n  @media (max-width: 768px) {\n    .headline-responsive {\n      font-size: 30px !important;\n      line-height: 1.3 !important;\n    }\n  }\n<\/style>\n<h2 id=\"what-click-fraud-and-invalid-clicks-actually-are\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_click_fraud_and_%E2%80%98invalid_clicks_actually_are\"><\/span>What click fraud and \u2018invalid clicks\u2019 actually are<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google defines <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/42995?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">invalid clicks<\/a> as:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cClicks on ads that aren\u2019t the result of genuine user interest, including intentionally fraudulent traffic and accidental or duplicate clicks.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This includes actual fraud from competitors clicking your ads, as well as accidental double-taps.<\/p>\n<p>Google doesn\u2019t charge advertisers for clicks it deems invalid. Google also credits advertisers for clicks it initially charged for if it later determines those clicks were invalid.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-the-usual-defenses-sometimes-fall-short\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_usual_defenses_sometimes_fall_short\"><\/span>Why the usual defenses sometimes fall short<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google\u2019s detection system catches a lot of invalid click activity, but as our example shows, it\u2019s not perfect.<\/p>\n<p>Because of this, an entire industry of third-party tools tries to block fraud-prone IP addresses before they cost you.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, fraudsters know how these tools work and often cycle through IP addresses using VPNs to stay one step ahead of the monitoring software.<\/p>\n<p>A tool may identify suspicious activity from an IP address and block that address from seeing Google ads in the future. But if the fraudster uses a new IP address each time, blocking previous addresses does nothing.<\/p>\n<p>These tools are also limited because Google allows a maximum of 500 IP address exclusions per campaign.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-css-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\">\n<h2 id=\"the-tactic-add-audiences-set-to-targeting\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_tactic_Add_audiences_set_to_%E2%80%98Targeting\"><\/span>The tactic: Add audiences set to \u2018Targeting\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We thought about what might distinguish fraudulent traffic from legitimate traffic. What came to mind was Google\u2019s predefined audiences. Google creates hundreds of audiences based on user demographics, search behavior, and browsing behavior.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you\u2019re researching private jet companies and Rolex watches, Google might classify you as a luxury shopper and place you in that audience.<\/p>\n<p>We hypothesized that fraudsters cycling through IP addresses aren\u2019t always taking the time to build normal-looking online profiles that fit into Google\u2019s predefined audiences.<\/p>\n<p>So we added most of the available audiences to our Search campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>We didn\u2019t limit ourselves to audiences specifically related to the people we were targeting. Instead, we used the audiences as a filter for users who fit Google\u2019s audience signals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Important:<\/strong> We chose the setting \u201cTargeting,\u201d not \u201cObservation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When you choose <em>Targeting<\/em>, Google limits your ads to people who trigger your keywords and belong to the selected audiences.<\/p>\n<p>If you choose <em>Observation<\/em>, Google reports how users in those audiences engage with your ads compared with people outside those audiences, but it can still show your ads to anyone who triggers your keywords.<\/p>\n<p>We only recommend this for accounts with high invalid click rates.<\/p>\n<p>There are potential downsides to this approach, such as unintentionally blocking legitimate users who don\u2019t fit within Google\u2019s pre-defined audiences.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-test-this-in-your-own-account\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_test_this_in_your_own_account\"><\/span>How to test this in your own account<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In a Search campaign, select <em>Audiences &gt; Edit audience segments &gt; Targeting &gt; Browse. <\/em>Select the audiences you want to add and click <em>Save.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1068\" http: alt=\"Image 12\" class=\"wp-image-481493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-12.png 2048w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-12-768x401.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-12-1536x801.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-12.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1068\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-12.png\" alt=\"Image 12\" class=\"wp-image-481493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-12.png 2048w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-12-768x401.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-12-1536x801.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"common-questions-about-fighting-click-fraud\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_questions_about_fighting_click_fraud\"><\/span>Common questions about fighting click fraud<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-will-google-refund-clicks-it-identifies-as-invalid\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Will_Google_refund_clicks_it_identifies_as_invalid\"><\/span>Will Google refund clicks it identifies as invalid?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If Google identifies a click as invalid when it occurs, you won\u2019t be charged for that click. If Google identifies a click as invalid after the fact, you\u2019ll receive a credit toward future advertising.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-do-i-see-how-many-invalid-clicks-i-m-getting\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_see_how_many_invalid_clicks_Im_getting\"><\/span>How do I see how many invalid clicks I\u2019m getting?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The \u201cInvalid activity credit\u201d report in Report Editor in the Google Ads UI provides the most detailed reporting.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Invalid clicks:<\/strong> Clicks you weren\u2019t charged for.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Credited clicks:<\/strong> Clicks you were originally charged for but later credited back.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2006\" height=\"826\" http: alt=\"Image 10\" class=\"wp-image-481491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-10.png 2006w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-10-768x316.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-10-1536x632.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2006px) 100vw, 2006px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-10.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2006\" height=\"826\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-10.png\" alt=\"Image 10\" class=\"wp-image-481491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-10.png 2006w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-10-768x316.png 768w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-10-1536x632.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2006px) 100vw, 2006px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>You can also add the Invalid clicks and Invalid click rate columns at the campaign level, but not at the ad group or keyword level.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-s-a-normal-invalid-click-rate\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_a_normal_invalid_click_rate\"><\/span>What\u2019s a normal invalid click rate?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A February <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fraudblocker.com\/data\/invalid-click-rate-benchmarks-for-google-ads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a> identified an 11.4% invalid click rate across 43,700 accounts.<\/p>\n<p>Industry matters. While the average invalid click rate for StubGroup\u2019s clients is very similar to the study\u2019s findings, we\u2019ve seen clients in competitive industries with invalid click rates above 40%.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-should-i-file-an-investigation-with-google\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_I_file_an_investigation_with_Google\"><\/span>Should I file an investigation with Google?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you have reason to believe Google is charging you for invalid clicks, it may be worth filing an investigation <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/contact\/click_quality\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: radial-gradient(circle at 30% 40%, rgba(184, 111, 255, 0.15), rgba(0, 169, 255, 0.15) 40%, #CDE8FD 70%); padding: 30px; width: 100%; max-width: 802px; color: #000000 !important; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 25px 0 30px 0; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); position: relative; box-sizing: border-box;\">\n<div style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: left; padding-right: 20px; box-sizing: border-box;\">\n<div id=\"semrush-one-headline\" class=\"headline-responsive\" style=\"font-family: Oswald, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; color: #000000 !important; line-height: 1.2;\">\n        Own the conversation <span style=\"background: linear-gradient(90deg, #D56EFE 0%, #068EF8 51%); -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-clip: text;\">before your competitors<\/span>.\n      <\/div>\n<p id=\"semrush-one-subhead\" style=\"font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 25px; margin: 12px 0 0 0; color: #000000 !important;\">\n        See where your brand appears, where it doesn\u2019t, and exactly how to win more visibility across search, AI, local, social, and every channel that matters.\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\">\n      <span id=\"semrush-one-cta\" style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: #FF642D; color: white; height: 44px; border: none; border-radius: 5px; cursor: pointer; font-size: 16px; padding: 0 24px; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 44px;\">Start your free trial<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<style>\n  @media (max-width: 768px) {\n    .headline-responsive {\n      font-size: 30px !important;\n      line-height: 1.3 !important;\n    }\n  }\n<\/style>\n<h2 id=\"why-this-approach-worked-best\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_this_approach_worked_best\"><\/span>Why this approach worked best<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Using Google\u2019s predefined audiences as a filter cut this account\u2019s reported invalid click rate in half and blocked activity that Google had claimed it was already catching. That turned failing campaigns into profitable ones.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-display\">\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-content\">\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Topics_on_this_page\"><\/span>Topics on this page<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-links\">Click fraudGoogleGoogle AdsStubGroupGoogle AnalyticsGoogle SearchInternet botMicrosoft ClarityOnline advertisingPay-per-clickTargeted advertisingVirtual private network<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-show-extra-button\">+8 more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-ads-targeting-tactic-cut-invalid-clicks-481490\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After Google said it had already filtered suspicious activity, this unexpected approach restored campaign profitability. Advertisers are estimated to lose $172 billion a year due to ad fraud by 2028.\u00a0 The problem is especially common in industries with high competition and CPCs. One of our clients operated in just such an industry, where high invalid&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":736744,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/A-Google-Ads-targeting-tactic-that-cut-invalid-clicks-by-50.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-736743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=736743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/736744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=736743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=736743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=736743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}