How can I minimize bot clicks in email marketing and what are the best methods for identifying and filtering them?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Email marketer from StackOverflow suggests using honeypot links, which are hidden links that only bots are likely to click. Track clicks on these links to identify and filter out bot traffic. This helps maintain cleaner data and more accurate reporting.
Email marketer from SendGrid Blog suggests regularly cleaning your email list to remove inactive or suspicious subscribers. Use double opt-in to confirm subscribers and reduce the likelihood of bot sign-ups. This also helps to improve overall deliverability.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that there's a correlation between reputation and non-human interactions. Better reputation means fewer scans. Detection methods exist, fairly simple for opens, more advanced for clicks. Automations driven by clicks can lead to uncomfortable scenarios, minimizing these with NHI detection is important.
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor Blog recommends A/B testing different email elements. Significant differences in click patterns between versions could indicate bot influence. Analyze these discrepancies to identify and filter suspicious traffic.
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog recommends monitoring for unusual click patterns, like multiple clicks from the same IP address in a short time frame, which could indicate bot activity or click bombing. Setting up alerts for such anomalies allows for quick investigation and mitigation.
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog recommends GDPR compliance to reduce bot sign-ups. Requiring consent and properly managing data reduces bot sign-ups and improves data accuracy. Compliance builds trust and reduces incentives for bots.
Email marketer from Reddit recommends filtering known bot IP addresses from your analytics. Many security firms maintain lists of IP addresses associated with bots and scanners. Regularly update your filters with these lists.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that bot clicks/opens are not a zero sum game, and that email addresses with bot interactions also have human interactions. Open and click numbers don't accurately represent humans due to mailbox providers obfuscating interactions for user privacy. Every ESP differentiates bots differently.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog shares that analyzing website traffic patterns, such as bounce rate and time on page, can help identify bot traffic that might also be influencing email engagement. Implementing CAPTCHAs can also prevent automated sign-ups and reduce bot activity.
Email marketer from Litmus Blog explains that identifying Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) opens is crucial. Monitor sudden spikes in open rates with no corresponding increase in clicks or conversions. Filter these opens to get a clearer picture of human engagement.
Marketer from Email Geeks responds that efforts are better spent on identifying and filtering bot clicks.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign Blog shares that using conditional content based on known user data can help identify bots. If a user consistently triggers content meant for a different segment, it could indicate bot activity.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource explains that tarpitting, which involves delaying responses to connections from suspected bots, can help identify and deter them. Bots often lack the patience to wait for delayed responses, making it a viable method for detection and mitigation.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that greylisting, the practice of temporarily rejecting emails from unknown senders, helps identify bots. Legitimate mail servers will retry sending the email, while bots often don't, allowing for effective filtering.
Expert from Email Geeks advises against using individual clicks to change system states or user accounts. He questions the value of click counts as a metric and suggests finding better alternatives.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that they separate bot clicks and don't count them in reporting.
Expert from Word to the Wise answers that the use of advanced CAPTCHA methods can prevent bots from interacting with email campaigns. Ensure that CAPTCHAs are implemented in signup forms and other interactive elements to minimize bot interference.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Google Ads Help explains that Google uses sophisticated systems to identify invalid clicks and impressions to keep your data clean. These invalid activities are automatically filtered from your reports and payments, ensuring you're not charged for them.
Documentation from Microsoft details their Safe Links feature, which scans URLs in emails for malicious content. Though not specifically for bot detection, it reduces risk from malicious bots by preventing users from clicking harmful links, which can indirectly reduce bot-driven fraudulent activity.
Documentation from SparkPost Documentation advises tracking engagement metrics beyond opens and clicks, such as conversions, purchases, or form submissions. High engagement rates despite low click rates could indicate skewed data due to bot activity.
Documentation from Cloudflare Documentation details their Bot Management tools that use machine learning to identify and mitigate bot traffic. It recommends analyzing bot scores to understand traffic patterns and implementing measures based on these scores to reduce bot clicks.