Click Fraud Breaking News: Google, Yahoo agree to independent click fraud audits
Today, I asked John Slade, Yahoo Search Marketing, and Shuman Ghosemajumder, Google Trust & Safety, if their companies would commit to upholding the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) “auditing and certification recommendations” under development in conjunction with the IAB Click Measurement Guideline initiative.
In “Click fraud: Google, Yahoo collaborate on definitions, what about independent auditors?” I present the recent Interactive Advertising Bureau Click Measurement Guideline initiative:
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced that they are forming an industry-wide Click Measurement Working Group to create a set of Click Measurement Guidelines. These Guidelines, a joint effort with the Media Rating Council (MRC), will provide the detailed definition of a "click" and the standard against which clicks are measured and counted including the identification of invalid clicks and/or fraudulent clicks.
Member companies who have confirmed their participation in this Working Group thus far include: Ask.com, Google, LookSmart, Microsoft Corp., Yahoo!, and others.
At this morning’s “Auditing Paid Listings & Click Fraud Issues” SES panel, Yahoo and Google reiterated their support for IAB’s "Click Measurement Guidelines":
establishment of these guidelines…with a standard for the consistent and reliable measurement of…performance based marketing.
During the Q & A, I asked Yahoo and Google if they would commit not only to the IAB “Click Measurement Guidelines,” but to the IAB “independent auditing against the complete guidelines“ recommendations as well.
According to IAB:
Independent auditing against the complete guidelines should provide advertisers with added security for their internet advertising investment and further solidify the increased level of accountability and transparency already established by this medium.
Both John Slade, Yahoo, and Shuman Ghosemajumder, Google, committed to accept third party independent click fraud audits.
When I asked for a timeline for initiating the third party independent click fraud audits, John Slade indicated such audits would follow the development of the Click Measurement Guidelines.
Stay Tuned for More Details!