Last month, Solve Media reported that a slim majority of US web traffic could be deemed “suspicious,” representing a new high for potentially fraudulent traffic. It seems that online publishers and media buyers are paying attention to the problem: new survey results released by Solve Media indicate that 59% of agency media buyers see bot traffic’s harmful effects on campaign performance. A sizable proportion of online publishers will take steps this year to combat the problem.
Approximately one-third of online publishers surveyed said they would implement anti-bot solutions this year, with that figure more than double the share from last year.
Corporate brand marketers also recognize the impact of bot traffic on their campaigns: 41% said it leads to inefficiencies and stolen ad budgets while negatively affecting overall performance.
Based on a ZenithOptimedia global ad spend forecast from last year, Solve Media estimates that up to $11.6 billion in global display spending could be wasted this year advertising to bots. That represents a 22% uptick from the last time Solve ran the numbers in September 2013, when it estimated that bot traffic could waste up to $9.5 billion in 2013 display ad spending.
About the Data: Solve Media surveyed 600 digital media buyers, senior marketers and online publishers in the US during October and November of 2013.