Top 6 PPC protection software in 2024

Embracing a digital advertising strategy is one thing, but selecting the best PPC protection software solution for you is another thing as there seem to be endless options available.

Identifying and blocking non-human traffic is essential to guaranteeing that advertisers only pay for authentic user engagement. However, it would be best to determine which solution is most appropriate for your needs. Discussed in this article are the top 6  protection software of all time.

What, then, is PPC protection software?

PPC protection software is a customized tool to detect and prevent non-human traffic on web ads. The software aims to analyze traffic and spot trends- like repeated clicks from the same source or strange activity spikes, etc., that suggest non-human interactions. After that, the software springs into action by stopping these non-human activities, safeguarding advertisers’ ad spend, and ensuring that their money is spent on actual, prospective clients.

Overview of top 6  PPC protection software

This comprehensive review highlights each software’s significant features, costs, advantages, and disadvantages.

ClickPatrol

The ClickPatrol software is a click detection software that screens every single click on your PPC campaign. Our Algorithm screens clicks based on a set of well-defined set of criteria.
This criteria is made up of 800 IP and fingerprint characteristics that are checked for every click. These characteristics are based on the peculiarity of your campaign. They include location, type of device, device software, number of times they have visited your campaign, etc. These characteristics have a standard for genuine valid clicks. Invalid clicks have one or more deviations from the standard (red flags).
A value is assigned for each deviation, a maximum value after which a click is flagged, and a threshold value, after which a click is blocked. For example, if a campaign that is running in the US and a desktop only, gets a click from a mobile device in India, the click is flagged and may be blocked, depending on how much of a variation it displays.
Our software Algorithm uses traffic data collected over several years from multiple sources to determine what characteristics need to be checked and how much deviation should be recorded as non-human.
Clicks are only blocked if we are confident they are Unwanted. Blocked clicks are determined based on the history of an IP, as well as its fingerprint.

Why ClickPatrol?

Users have complete control.
Our clients can fully customize the API and maximize their experience. You can choose to only monitor your campaigns and not make updates to Google; you can also decide how aggressively you want to track and block non-human traffic or unwanted clicks.
Users can also manually review blocked IPs, whitelist, and blacklist where necessary.
Supports all Google Campaigns
Our tool supports all forms of Google Ads campaigns including;
✔ Google Pmax,
✔ Google Search ads,
✔ Google Display ads,
✔ Apps (We exclude traffic on account level),
✔ Google Shopping Advertising,
✔ Gmail Sponsored Promotions
Users can also exclude certain on campaigns on their ad accounts from being monitored.
Monitor Traffic Quality With In-depth Reporting and Insights.
Our reports tell you exactly what kind of traffic comes to your website. We share unique insights based on our data points unavailable via the ad network. All data can be exported, analyzed, and used to make informed marketing decisions.

Unique features and integrations of ClickPatrol

ClickPatrol provides proactive blocking of already known invalid IPs, supports multiple users/ad accounts, and provides in-depth click data.

Pros

• Provides API integration
• Support multiple Google platforms
• Generate instant clicks
• Google Certified tracker
• Fremium (monitoring only) plan

Lunio

Lunio is several platforms’ best Invalid clicks protection software. Lunio (formerly PPC Protect) is an Invalid click detection and prevention solution that assists companies in safeguarding their marketing campaigns, especially pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. Lunio helps businesses understand the effectiveness of their page, campaigns, and ads to make informed decisions. It does this by detecting invalid, non-human, and unintentional clicks.

• Why Lunio?

This is because it offers businesses an automated solution that can interface with various marketing applications and platforms, providing protection across multiple channels and assisting with multi-platform protection. Furthermore, Lunio protects online marketing campaigns on platforms like Facebook, Bing, and Google.
Unique features and integrations of Lunio
Unique features of Lunio include account alerts, which inform companies when they identify non-human activity in their online marketing efforts. Additionally, it provides advertising management solutions, enabling companies to oversee their multi-platform Internet marketing campaigns.

The integration includes Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Shopify,  Twitter,  Google Ads, TikTok, Marketo Engage, HubSpot Marketing Hub, and other leading web pages. There is also integration through an API.

Pros

• Provides API integration
• Support multiple platforms
• Generate instant clicks

Cons

• No free trial
• Price is not transparent

AppsFlyer

Appsflyer is the best PPC protection software solution for mobile ad fraud prevention and detection. AppsFlyer provides a fraud protection solution called Protect360.

Why AppsFlyer?

Protect360 is the best mobile detection and prevention solution because of its detailed and constantly available suite. It guards against all prevalent forms of mobile ad fraud, including bots, install hijacking, click flooding, and device farms. It protects against established and emerging fraud forms by leveraging AppsFlyer’s size, machine learning, and behavioral analysis.
Unique features and integrations of AppsFlyer
One unique feature of AppsFlyer is the ability to detect post-attribution fraud. This tool detects and prevents bot installs after attribution with automatic pattern recognition. An installation cannot be removed once it has been credited. However, Protect360’s post-attribution fraud detection can reject bot activity by looking for patterns discovered after the installation.

Integration is available in over 10,000 apps, such as Google Ads, Meta for Business, Twitter,  Adobe Campaign, Customer.io, Affise, Segment, RevenueCat, TrafficGuard, Supermetrics, etc. Additional integrations are also available via API.

Pros

• Provides large integrations
• Protects against most mobile ad fraud
• Has API

Cons

• Price is not transparent
• There is no integration with Zapier

Clickguard

Clickguard is the best non-human traffic tracking tool for Google Ads. ClickGuard is a software solution that protects against Invalid clicks and optimizes pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. To ensure their advertising budget is used wisely, it assists companies in identifying and removing harmful or unnecessary traffic.

Why ClickGuard?

The best feature ClickGuard offers is protecting your pay-per-click ads against Invalid clicks and illegitimate traffic. These could be inadvertent clicks or the curiosity of current clients seeking more details. ClickGaurd also provides In-depth reports with critical information about your campaigns, threat analysis, keyword performance, etc. Additionally, you can automate and distribute these data to your clients or team members.
Unique features and integrations of ClickGuard
The Unique features include Proxy VPN identification, automated optimization, time-on-site condition, and GEO location protection. Additionally, businesses can operate safe and successful pay-per-click campaigns without manual intervention thanks to ClickGaurd- an utterly automated protection solution. They imply that companies don’t need to manually study and analyze data to supervise and protect their PPC campaigns continuously.

Integrations include website hosting, e-commerce platforms, landing and lead capture software, CMS platforms, and advertising software. These software include Leadpages, LanderApp, ClickFunnels, Unbounce, Weebly, Squarespace, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Google Tag Manager, etc.

Pros

• Provides real-time monitoring
• Helps to analyze user behavior
• Great for Google ad tracking

Cons

• Complicated user interface
• Limited automation

Improverly

Improvely is the best Invalid clicks software designed for small and medium businesses. Improvely is a web-based application that offers internet marketers and advertisers Invalid click detection, conversion tracking, and advanced analytics. Companies can use it to measure conversions, improve their online advertising efforts, and identify non-human activity that might affect the performance of their ads.

Why Improvely?

Businesses can track all their marketing initiatives in one location with Improvely’s user-friendly dashboard. This makes monitoring and evaluating marketing initiatives easier, especially for companies who need to gain knowledge of technology. Improvely also provides export options, team logins, and bespoke client reports, making it appropriate for businesses operating independently, in teams, or with clients. Additionally, it makes reporting and collaboration more accessible, which is advantageous for small businesses that work with various stakeholders.

Improvely unique features and integrations

Unique features of Improvely include conversion monitoring, which identifies the source of each signup and transaction and helps businesses monitor how well their marketing campaigns are working. With the help of this tool, businesses may more efficiently manage resources and maximize their marketing efforts.

Integration includes Microsoft Excel, Google, Facebook Ads, AdRoll, Twitter, Microsoft Bing, Taboola, etc.

Pros

• Free trial available
• Generate customers’ profile
• Provide multiple access control

Cons

• No demo
• Little integration

ClickCease

This is the best Invalid click protection software for WordPress websites.
ClickCease is a service that detects and protects against non-human traffic and assists businesses in identifying and blocking bots and fake clicks with machine learning algorithms.

Why ClickCease?

WordPress websites are shielded from bots and illegitimate traffic using ClickCease. It provides round-the-clock bot zapping, an active detection and prevention technology that effectively detects and prevents bots from accessing and interacting with your website. By redirecting the bots to a 403 forbidden page, this unique approach effectively prevents them from accessing the system. Consequently, spam comments on your blog and bot checkouts on your e-commerce store are prevented from reaching your website.

Additionally, ClickCease ensures you have reliable data and insights by providing a comprehensive picture of your marketing analytics. You may concentrate on actual consumers, improve the functionality of your website, and refine your marketing techniques by getting rid of bot traffic. You can be sure that only real people are visiting your website thanks to ClickCease’s powerful and sophisticated bot detection, which consists of over a thousand tests and evaluations.

Unique features and integrations of ClickCease

Unique features of ClickCease include a global heatmap of invalid clicks. This function makes it easier to see the location of Invalid clicks and how they interact with your website. The heatmap lets you understand where the majority of invalid clicks are coming from by giving you a visual depiction of the geographic location of those clicks. You can use this data to modify the targeting of your ads and stop clicks coming from particular areas.

Integration includes WordPress, Google Ads,  Instagram, Meta for Business, Microsoft Advertising, etc.

Pros

• Works for all WordPress plugins
• Easy setup
• Free trial

Cons

• Limited integration

How to select a PPC protection software

Here are the criteria to look out for when selecting the best Invalid clicks software

1  Features

Here are the essential features that an Invalid clicks software should have:
• Real-time tracking: the software tracks user activities and ad clicks to spot suspicious patterns.
• IP address analysis: the software analyzes IPAs to find recurring clicks from the same source, which may indicate non-human activity.
• Geolocation tracking: the software tracks click location to identify patterns that could indicate click farms or clicks generated by bots.
• Analysis of user behavior: the software examines users’ actions to spot unusual click patterns and differentiate between real and fake clicks.
• Comprehensive reporting and analytics: the software aids advertisers in determining the scope of Invalid clicks and the effectiveness of their efforts to detect it.
• Integration with ad platforms: the software can integrate with well-known advertising networks like Google Ads to automatically prevent invalid clicks and enhance campaign success.

2 Usability

A crucial aspect to consider while selecting Invalid click software is its usability. An easy-to-use interface allows the users to make the most of the software. Seek software with a central dashboard that offers a concise and easy-to-understand summary of your campaign performance and Invalid click protection statistics. Key performance indicators, including the number of clicks, blocked clicks, and fraud rate, should be shown clearly for easy access.

Additionally, the software must offer real-time click activity monitoring, updating and alerting users as soon as it detects invalid clicks. This way, you can quickly stop suspicious clicks when you receive instant notifications via email or in-platform alerts.

3 Pricing

Every business wants to ensure they are getting value for their money. Usually, Invalid clicks software is priced between $15 and $500 per month. The low-end price range offers basic features like click monitoring and the detection of obvious fraud patterns; however, there may be limitations on the limit of campaigns or clicks that can be tracked monthly.

4 Scalability

Prioritizing Invalid click prevention software that can manage complicated campaigns, higher click volumes, and seasonal spikes without compromising efficiency is critical. Seek a solution with a flexible architecture and track record of performance under load to guarantee scalability.

Conclusion

According to Anura, 25% of all purchased traffic is false; this implies that 1 out of every 4 clicks is Invalid. These non-human activities waste ad spending and hinder the possibility of genuine conversions and revenue generation. However, you can identify and reduce invalid clicks with the best PPC protection software listed above.

FAQs

How can Invalid clicks be detected?

Invalid clicks can be detected using various methods and tools, such as identifying suspicious patterns, monitoring IPAs, analyzing user behavior, and using machine learning algorithms. Advertisers use these techniques to recognize and eliminate invalid clicks, guaranteeing the precision and effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.

Are Invalid clicks illegal?

Since most governments view Invalid clicks as dishonest tactics to manipulate online advertising networks for profit, it is illegal in most countries. Invalid click fraudsters could suffer legal repercussions.