Invalid traffic covers clicks and impressions that don’t come from people with genuine interest. Some of it happens by mistake. Some is driven by automated bots or by schemes designed to drive up costs or pull in revenue that wasn’t earned. For advertisers, it can waste money and cloud campaign results.
The update came from a joint effort between Google’s Ad Traffic Quality group, Google Research, and DeepMind. The technology now reviews site and app content, looks at how ads are placed, and examines user interaction patterns to find signs of suspicious behavior.
Google says the system is able to act faster against placements that break rules. The sharper review process has cut back on activity from setups that trick users or disrupt their experience.
These changes don’t replace older safeguards. The company still runs automated filters and human checks, and it issues credits if invalid traffic is found after an ad has been shown.
Google describes the upgrade as part of a long-running push to keep its ad network clean and to protect advertisers, publishers, and users. For advertisers, it should mean fewer misleading clicks and impressions, cleaner reports, and a better view of how campaigns are really performing.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen.
Read next: Sam Altman on How AI Could Reshape Work, Society, and Daily Life