Everyone is used to seeing ads on every corner of the internet these days. But while some of these are of decent quality, others are such clickbaity junk that they make you wonder who actually clicks on them.

Well, we decided to find out. Here's our journey of actually checking out clickbait ads online to see where they bring you.

"Around the Web" Ads

On this quest, we aren't talking about sidebar and banner ads on websites that go to products like mobile phone carriers, computer manufacturers, chain restaurants, etc. These are ads for legitimate products that take you to the companies' actual websites or product pages.

Related: What Is Malvertising and How Can You Prevent It?

Instead, we're talking about the junky Related Articles or Content from around the web grids that usually appear at the end of articles. While these were once confined to spammy sites, you'll find them even at trusted places like your local news station's website now.

Some of these are genuine links to other articles online, while others are typical listicles like "10 Child Stars That Are Unrecognizable Now" or "12 Ugly Celebrity Babies That Will Make You Cry." But some of them are also poor attempts at disguising affiliate marketing, such as "This Housewife Shocked Doctors Around the Country" or "An Easy Way to Earn $1 Million a Year Working From Home."

Like most people, you probably ignore these ads because they're garbage. But what happens if you actually click them? Let's find out together as we click on ads from a few different sites. Such as...

Clickbait Ads First Block

1. Lose 31 Lbs in a Month!

Most people with they could drop a few pounds at some point, but 31 pounds in a month? Could you really lose a pound per day like this?

Clicking on this brings us to an article with the headline "Harvard Medical Student Discovers 1 Secret Mineral That Helps You Lose 52 lbs In 28 Days." Amazingly, just by clicking on the article, we've gone from losing 31 pounds in a month to losing 52 pounds in just 28 days!

Weight Loss Scam Clickbait Ad

The article tells the story of Emily Senstrom, who came across "a new fat blocking code no one has heard of before." While browsing a "restricted section" of her school's library, she found the secret K3 Spark Mineral, which helps your body remind itself that it's full. Using this, we're told, Emily and several of her friends dropped weight in record time without diet or exercise.

This article lasts for thousands of words without actually saying anything of value. It entices you to keep reading, giving vague promises like how right now is the best time to use the solution, and showing generic charts of how much weight you'll lose. It has all the hallmarks of typical weight loss scams, like blurry photos where it's hard to tell if the "before" and "after" models are even the same person.

The rest of the ads from the block of ads above weren't very interesting, so we moved onto another group...

Clickbait Ads Second Block

2. Stop Eating Foods That Lower Bone Density!

Our next article takes us to a dissertation from a Dr. Chad Walding, warning about foods that lower your bone density. All those soft drinks, table salt, and hydrogenated oils are wreaking havoc on our bones, you see. The good doctor recommends collagen to help keep your bones strong, but there's just one problem: you have to use it consistently, and most supplements are no good.

Collagen Power Clickbait Article

That's why he recommends NativePath Grass-Fed Collagen, of course. It's the magic medicine you never knew you needed—because you don't. Who would have thought the secret to strong bones would be hiding in plain sight underneath an article on the internet?

3. Drink a Cup Before Bed and Watch Body Fat Melt!

Fat Blocking Clickbait Article

From the same block of ads as above, the "drink 1 cup before bed" link brought us to a page almost identical to #1. It had the same story about Emily Senstrom, except the product on the label was slightly different.

It's amazing that Emily's one-in-a-lifetime discovery allowed her to create two separate products for this job. Next!

4. Internet Providers Don't Want You Buying This!

Clickbait Ads Third Block

Here's one that's interesting, seeing as we've dispelled many myths about internet speed at MUO before. This page sings the praises of a device called the ZenBooster, which the author, Eric, received from his ISP's technician during a service call.

The technician told Eric that his internet provider was starting to "throttle the bandwidth in [his] router," and that even though his speeds were showing as the same, his "router doesn’t have the same output as it used to."

The technician, having mercy on the poor man, handed him a ZenBooster. This magical device, he claimed, "reconnects the split channels from your router and blasts it across the house"—whatever that means.

Read more: Why Do Data Caps Exist and How Can You Bypass Them?

All you have to do is plug it in and your internet connection will instantly improve! As you see, this is "the only router on the market that is untouchable by the ISPs," and not only does it extend your Wi-Fi range, it even boosts the speed. The article assures that you if certain devices can't connect to Wi-Fi or there are dead zones in your house, those are signs you need this device.

ZenBooster Reasons Clickbait

Unsurprisingly, the explanation it gives for how this all works is laughable—it says that the ZenBooster "keep[s] open the maximum bandwidth," which doesn't even make sense. The page also uses typical hard sales tactics of having a "countdown" for when the deal expires, telling you that there's limited supply, and similar.

In reality, this device is a sham. If your ISP was throttling your speed, that would affect the connection coming into your modem, so no booster device would increase the speed of your router. The claims that the device both increases speed and range are silly—while Wi-Fi range extenders are convenient to fix dead zones in your house, they aren't going to boost your speed too. If anything, you might experience a small drop in speed.

The disclaimer at the bottom of the page also tells you that the story is fake and it's only based on the results that "some people" have gotten with the product. See some actual ways to improve your router's speed instead of buying this trash.

ZenBooster Wi-Fi Scam

5. Hit the Jackpot!

Finally, we stumble upon the story of Donna Martin, who looks quite different in the article's featured image compared to the image that appears with the link. We learn how "casinos are beside themselves" because of a free game where you can win major jackpots.

Clickbait Ads Jackpot

The article assures us that games like this are "100% legal" because "it's 2020," despite the article supposedly being written in March 2021. You can play as much as you want for free, without any subscriptions. At the end of the article, a button launches the Microsoft Store app on Windows 10, despite the article showing a screenshot of the Google Play Store review page.

We're greeted with Gambino Slots, a free download that offers in-app purchases. There's just one oddity—the disclaimer at the bottom of the article says that "Gambino slots is not a real money game." It's odd, then, than Donna was so excited to hit the jackpot in a game that doesn't actually award real money or prizes.

The game will certainly be happy to take your money, though. A glance at its Android and iPhone versions shows that it offers in-app purchases of $100 and more.

Clickbait Slots Game

Just Ignore Clickbait Ads

Through this experience, we've found out what lurks behind these stupid ads that nobody clicks on. Aside from links to low-quality content on other sites, they mostly consist of typical diet scams, miracle cures, and other snake oil. Some of them go to near-identical articles, and others are just advertising junky mobile games.

There are decent ads around the internet, but they aren't these ones. These are trying to make a quick buck from tired schemes. It's no wonder that people don't click on them—neither should you.