Advertisers are estimated to lose $172 billion a year due to ad fraud by 2028.\u00a0<\/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>
By adjusting Google Ads targeting, we reduced invalid-click activity by 50% and restored profitable performance.<\/p>
Case study: How we cut invalid clicks by 50%<\/h2>
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>
We quickly identified signs of click fraud, including:<\/p>
- Google reporting a 60% to 80% invalid click rate.<\/li>
- Microsoft Clarity recordings showing bot-like behavior from Google Ads traffic.<\/li>
- 80%+ click-through rates across numerous search terms, with some exceeding 100%.<\/li>
- Far fewer sessions in GA4 and other analytics tools than the number of clicks Google Ads reported.<\/li> <\/ul>
We tried third-party click fraud tools but saw no measurable performance improvement.<\/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>
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-11.png\" "\\"A")
<\/figure> <\/div> We were confident Google wasn\u2019t filtering out all the invalid activity, so we took matters into our own hands.<\/p>
We added 540 Google-defined audiences set to \u201cTargeting\u201d to our Google Search campaigns.<\/p>
The invalid click rate immediately dropped by 50%, and the conversion rate increased to profitable levels.<\/p>
We\u2019ll explain why we tested this approach and why we believe it worked.<\/p>
First, let\u2019s review what invalid clicks are and the standard ways advertisers combat them.<\/p>
See exactly how your competitors win<\/span>. <\/p>
Uncover the keywords, ads, landing pages, and strategies driving your competitors\u2019 paid search success\u2014and find your next opportunity to outperform them. <\/p> <\/p><\/div>
Analyze your competitors<\/span> <\/p> <\/p><\/div>
What click fraud and \u2018invalid clicks\u2019 actually are<\/h2>
Google defines invalid clicks as:\u00a0<\/p>
- \u201cClicks on ads that aren\u2019t the result of genuine user interest, including intentionally fraudulent traffic and accidental or duplicate clicks.\u201d<\/li> <\/ul>
This includes actual fraud from competitors clicking your ads, as well as accidental double-taps.<\/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>
Why the usual defenses sometimes fall short<\/h2>
Google\u2019s detection system catches a lot of invalid click activity, but as our example shows, it\u2019s not perfect.<\/p>
Because of this, an entire industry of third-party tools tries to block fraud-prone IP addresses before they cost you.<\/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>
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>
These tools are also limited because Google allows a maximum of 500 IP address exclusions per campaign.<\/p>
<\/p>
Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p> <\/p><\/div> <\/p><\/div> <\/div>
<\/p>
The tactic: Add audiences set to \u2018Targeting\u2019<\/h2>
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>
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>
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>
So we added most of the available audiences to our Search campaigns.<\/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>
Important:<\/strong> We chose the setting \u201cTargeting,\u201d not \u201cObservation.\u201d<\/p>
When you choose Targeting<\/em>, Google limits your ads to people who trigger your keywords and belong to the selected audiences.<\/p>
If you choose 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>
We only recommend this for accounts with high invalid click rates.<\/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>
How to test this in your own account<\/h2>
In a Search campaign, select Audiences > Edit audience segments > Targeting > Browse. <\/em>Select the audiences you want to add and click Save.<\/em><\/p>
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-12.png\" "\\"A")
<\/figure> <\/div> Common questions about fighting click fraud<\/h2>
Will Google refund clicks it identifies as invalid?<\/h3>
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>
How do I see how many invalid clicks I\u2019m getting?<\/h3>
The \u201cInvalid activity credit\u201d report in Report Editor in the Google Ads UI provides the most detailed reporting.<\/p>
- Invalid clicks:<\/strong> Clicks you weren\u2019t charged for.<\/li>
- Credited clicks:<\/strong> Clicks you were originally charged for but later credited back.<\/li> <\/ul>
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/07\/image-10.png\" "\\"A")
<\/figure> <\/div> 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>
What\u2019s a normal invalid click rate?<\/h3>
A February study identified an 11.4% invalid click rate across 43,700 accounts.<\/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>
Should I file an investigation with Google?<\/h3>
If you have reason to believe Google is charging you for invalid clicks, it may be worth filing an investigation here.<\/p>
Own the conversation before your competitors<\/span>. <\/p>
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. <\/p> <\/p><\/div>
Start your free trial<\/span> <\/p> <\/p><\/div>
Why this approach worked best<\/h2>
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> <\/div>
Contributing authors are invited to create content for Search Engine Land and are chosen for their expertise and contribution to the search community. Our contributors work under the oversight of the editorial staff and contributions are checked for quality and relevance to our readers. Search Engine Land is owned by Semrush. Contributor was not asked to make any direct or indirect mentions of Semrush. The opinions they express are their own.<\/em> <\/p>
Opinion#Google #Ads #targeting #tactic #cut #invalid #clicks1783283527<\/p> ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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- Credited clicks:<\/strong> Clicks you were originally charged for but later credited back.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Invalid clicks:<\/strong> Clicks you weren\u2019t charged for.<\/li>
- \u201cClicks on ads that aren\u2019t the result of genuine user interest, including intentionally fraudulent traffic and accidental or duplicate clicks.\u201d<\/li> <\/ul>