Web traffic generators, which emulate human activity to boost website or social media engagement, have been a tool since the mid-2000s. While they can artificially increase page views or social media likes to improve visibility and influence, their use can also be detrimental. Businesses aiming to protect their brand are advised to avoid such practices due to potential negative impacts.
Traffic bots, often used to inflate metrics, can also engage in malicious activities such as click fraud. In these schemes, bots repeatedly click on competitors’ ads to deplete their advertising budgets. With around 70% of internet traffic attributed to bots, and 40% of that being malicious, businesses should be cautious about relying on these methods for SEO or advertising.
Google’s policies emphasize the risks associated with using bot-generated traffic. Although not illegal, such practices can lead to penalties, including the suspension of advertising accounts. Google advises against partnering with third-party services that may use bots to artificially inflate traffic, warning that it could lead to account closures and diminished service quality.
Traffic bots also create challenges for understanding legitimate website traffic. While some bots, like search engine crawlers, provide useful functions, others can distort traffic data, complicating the evaluation of genuine user engagement. The use of bot traffic generators, particularly for ad clicks, poses significant risks and can negatively impact a company’s online presence and advertising effectiveness.
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