The Albany Gazette - Study: 17% of Vertical Video Ad Conversions Are Invalid

TOKYO, JP / ACCESS Newswire / May 21, 2026 / Spider Labs Co., Ltd., developer of the marketing security SaaS platform Spider AF, analyzed conversion data from vertical video advertising campaigns observed between January 1 and April 30, 2026.

The analysis found that 17.01% of conversions generated through vertical video ads were classified as invalid conversions, meaning approximately one in six conversions may be fraudulent or otherwise unreliable.

Spider AF identified patterns including suspected bot-generated conversions and repeated submissions from the same IP address within short periods of time. Many of these cases appeared legitimate at the click stage and only became detectable after conversion events occurred.

As AI-driven campaign optimization becomes standard across advertising platforms, advertisers are increasingly required to evaluate not only conversion volume, but also conversion quality.

Key Findings

• 17.01% of conversions from vertical video ads were classified as invalid

• Roughly one in six conversions may be inflating perceived ad performance

• Fraudulent activity often becomes visible only after form submission or conversion

• Invalid conversions can contaminate AI optimization data and trigger "reverse optimization"

• Lead generation industries are particularly vulnerable, including:

  • Cosmetic clinics and healthcare

  • Financial services and FX

  • Recruitment and HR

  • Ecommerce and D2C

  • Real estate

How Invalid Conversions Impact AI Optimization

AI-powered advertising platforms optimize delivery based on conversion data. When invalid conversions are included in training signals, optimization systems may incorrectly learn that fraudulent traffic sources or duplicate converters are high-performing audiences.

This creates the risk of "reverse optimization," where campaigns increasingly prioritize traffic that generates fake or low-quality conversions instead of genuine prospects.

Spider AF's analysis also found repeated conversions originating from identical IP addresses within short timeframes, as well as suspicious inquiry form submissions using obviously fake information such as:

• Name: "aaa"

• Email: "[email protected]"

• Phone: "000-0000-0000"

Despite being invalid, these submissions are typically counted as standard conversions within advertising dashboards, potentially distorting CPA and ROAS evaluations.

Recommended Measures for Advertisers

To reduce the impact of invalid conversions, Spider AF recommends:

Compare Ad Platform Data With CRM Outcomes

Validate reported conversions against qualified leads, sales opportunities, and closed deals.

Monitor Repeated Conversions

Identify multiple submissions originating from the same IP address within short time periods.

Exclude Invalid Conversions From Optimization Data

Remove fraudulent or duplicate conversions from AI learning signals to improve campaign accuracy.

Spider AF Solutions

Spider AF Ad Fraud Protection analyzes advertising activity from click through conversion to detect and block fraudulent traffic and invalid conversions.

Spider AF also provides Spider AF Ad Booster, which focuses specifically on conversion-stage fraud. Ad Booster evaluates user behavior throughout the conversion process and synchronizes only verified conversions back to advertising platforms to help improve AI optimization accuracy.

Key capabilities include:

• Detection of fake form submissions and repeated conversions

• Filtering of suspicious overseas or bot-driven conversion activity

• Visualization dashboards for conversion quality monitoring

• Free diagnostics estimating invalid conversion rates and advertising losses

Spider AF supports major advertising platforms including TikTok, Google, and Meta, and can be implemented with a simple tag installation.

More information:

Spider AF Ad Fraud Protection: https://spideraf.com/ppc-protection

Spider AF Ad Booster: https://spideraf.com/ppc-protection/ad-booster

Research Methodology

• Survey Period: January 1, 2026 - April 30, 2026

• Accounts Analyzed: 532

• Total Data Volume: 44,246,500 records

• Methodology: Proprietary internal database analysis

About Spider Labs Co., Ltd.

Spider Labs Co., Ltd. develops and operates Spider AF, a marketing security SaaS platform designed to protect advertisers from ad fraud, invalid conversions, affiliate abuse, unauthorized reselling, and other digital marketing threats.

Founded in 2011, Spider Labs is headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Website: https://spideraf.com/

Media Contact

Spider Labs Co., Ltd.
PR Contact: M. Tison
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +81-3-6419-7946

SOURCE: Spider Labs, Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

(W.Walker--TAG)