WebProNews

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced today the release of its Click Measurement Guidelines aimed at establishing accurate buying and selling of cost-per-click advertising.

The guidelines are supported by key industry stakeholders, provide a strong framework for identifying and discarding fraudulent clicks.

The Click Measurement Guidelines:

Joe Laszlo

Define the technical life-cycle of a "click" and outline standard methodologies by which clicks should be measured and counted, including provision for identifying invalid and /or fraudulent clicks.

Establish standard terms that will help streamline the buying and selling of click-based media.

Increase transparency and consistency in click measurements for media companies, ad-serving organizations, advertisers, and third-party click auditors.

"The fact that we've obtained agreement within the online industry on the precise definition and measurement of a click and a procedure for identifying and eliminating fraudulent clicks is a huge win for the industry," said Joe Laszlo, research director of the IAB.

"These guidelines help assure marketers that the clicks they are paying for are generated by real people with a real interest in the product or service being advertised."

The guidelines are the latest addition to the IAB's ongoing efforts to standardize interactive measurement. They complement IAB guidelines for general ad impressions, digital video commercials and audience reach measurement.