How to Stop Spam and Bot Traffic & Leads (Episode 478)

The Paid Search Podcast | A Weekly Podcast About Google Ads and Online Marketing

In this episode, we break down how to spot and stop spam traffic and leads before they drain your budget. We cover the risks of leaving Search Partners and Display Network wide open, including mobile apps, ad farm sites, and suspiciously high CTRs. You’ll learn why location targeting should be set to “people in or regularly in your targeted area” and why “interested in” leads to bad traffic, especially with Search Partners. We also dive into shady search terms like competitor names, phone numbers, and support queries that often signal spam. We explain why chasing cheap clicks under $1 CPC can be dangerous, especially with broad match keywords. You’ll hear why click fraud tools are not a real solution, and how data exclusion can help when spam waves or tracking issues pop up. Finally, we put all the red flags together to show how Google’s recommendations often push you toward clicks, while the smarter move is optimizing for real conversions.

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Chris Schaeffer - http://www.chrisschaeffer.com

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_kJty78-Dhg
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