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Let me be blunt: You’re probably losing money on paid ads right now, and you don’t even know it.
Paid ads offer significant benefits, like increased visibility, targeted reach, and measurable results—but ad hijacking undermines these benefits and reduces the value of your campaigns.
If you’re running paid ads—especially branded ones—you could be getting hijacked. Not in the dramatic, airport kind of way. In a way that’s sneakier. And more expensive.
Ad hijacking is quietly draining your ROI, stealing your clicks, and messing with your conversion data. And the worst part? Most marketers don’t even know what it is, let alone how to fight it.
Let’s break this down so you can spot it, stop it, and protect your brand—before you throw another dollar at ads that someone else is profiting from.
Common Paid Ads Hijacking Questions
- How do I know if someone is hijacking my Google Ads?
- What is affiliate ad hijacking and how can I prevent it?
- Can competitors bid on my brand name in paid search ads?
If you’re asking yourself any of these questions, you’re in the right place—because in this article, we break it all down step by step. From spotting the warning signs to protecting your paid traffic, this guide will help you take control of your ad spend and stop hijackers in their tracks.
What is Ad Hijacking? (And Why You Should Care)
Think of ad hijacking like a scammy street vendor setting up a fake version of your store—using your name, selling knockoff products, and stealing customers who were looking for you.
In digital marketing, it happens when bad actors or even your own affiliates:
- Bid on your branded keywords
- Copy your ad copy and landing page
- Redirect clicks through their own links
These are just a few examples of how ad hijacking can occur in digital marketing.
They show up in the search results looking like you. But when a customer clicks, they end up somewhere else entirely.
It feels like sabotage—because it is.
Why Ad Spend Is Getting Worse in 2025
The rise of AI in search is disrupting everything. Organic visibility is harder. Zero-click results are up. So what are businesses doing? Doubling down on paid ads.
More ads = more competition. And that means your brand terms are hotter than ever.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Branded CPCs (cost per click) are up 23% YoY in some industries.
- Over 50% of affiliate marketers admit to bidding on brand names.
- 75% of affiliate fraud is linked to ad hijacking (PPC Protect).
That’s a perfect storm for hijackers to move in.
The Different Types of Ad Hijacking You Need to Know
Ad hijacking isn’t a one-size-fits-all threat—there are several different types that can quietly drain your ad spend and undermine your ability to drive sales. Understanding these tactics is key to protecting your campaigns and ensuring your ads reach the right audience.
One major type is ad spoofing. Here, hijackers impersonate legitimate websites or apps, tricking ad networks into displaying your ads on fake inventory. This means your ads might appear on sites or apps that have nothing to do with your target audience, wasting your budget and reducing campaign effectiveness.
Another sneaky method is ad injection. In this scenario, malicious actors insert unauthorized ads directly into a website or app—often without the site owner’s knowledge. These injected ads can disrupt the user experience, steal attention from your legitimate ads, and even redirect potential customers away from your site, impacting your sales and campaign performance.
Additionally, there’s ad stacking. This technique involves layering multiple ads on top of each other in a single ad placement. Only the top ad is visible to users, but all the ads in the stack register as “served,” inflating impressions and draining your ad spend without delivering real engagement or results.
Advertisers need to be aware of these different types of ad hijacking to safeguard their campaigns, maintain control over where their ads are displayed, and protect their ability to drive sales. Staying informed and vigilant is the first step toward securing your advertising investment.
Real Ways They’re Stealing from You
Let’s look at how this plays out in the wild:
1. Brand Impersonation
Someone runs Google ads using your name. The ad looks identical to yours. People think they are shopping your products. But the link sends people to a competitor’s site—or worse, a shady product.
2. Affiliate Hijacking
A partner bids on your brand term, then routes traffic through their affiliate link. You’re paying for brand awareness AND paying them commission. Double hit.
3. Cloaked Landing Pages
They mimic your landing page design so that users never suspect they’re not on your site—but it’s all built to funnel sales or leads elsewhere.
These aren’t theoretical. I’ve seen this firsthand with clients who couldn’t figure out why performance was tanking until we dug into the search results.
How to Know If You’re a Target
Here are some red flags:
- Sudden spikes in your branded CPC
- Decline in click-through rates on brand campaigns
- Affiliate partners generating more conversions than expected
- Searching your brand name in your browser and finding unfamiliar ads at the top
You can also use tools like:
- Google Ads Preview Tool (manually search your brand on different devices and browsers to check for variations in ad appearance)
- SEMrush or SpyFu to monitor competitor ad activity
- BrandVerity for affiliate and trademark monitoring
- ClickCease or PPC Protect for click fraud and ad spying
Don’t skip this. Even a simple Google search of your own brand name can reveal a lot.
Protecting Your First Campaign: Essential Steps for Beginners
Launching your first campaign is an exciting milestone for any business, but it’s also a time when your ad spend is most vulnerable. To set yourself up for success and drive sales from the start, it’s crucial to take a few essential steps to protect your campaign.
Begin by setting a clear budget for your campaign and be ready to adjust it as you gather data. This helps you optimize your ad spend and ensures you’re investing in the ads and audiences that deliver the best results. Use search help tools to identify and target the right audience—this will help your ads reach shoppers who are most likely to engage and convert.
When you create your ads, focus on clear messaging and strong calls to action that align with your business goals. Consider enabling optional cookies to track user behavior and gather valuable insights, which can help you optimize your campaign performance and improve engagement over time.
Additionally, make sure your website or app is secure and fully compliant with advertising policies. This not only protects your campaign from ad hijacking but also builds trust with your audience. Regularly review your campaign data and use available tools to monitor performance, so you can respond quickly to any unusual activity or changes in the market.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to create a campaign that not only drives sales but also achieves better results for your business. Remember, ongoing optimization and vigilance are key—adjust your strategy as needed to stay ahead of threats and maximize your advertising impact.
How to Stop Ad Hijackers (Step-by-Step)
1. Audit Your Ads Weekly
Search your brand + common variations.
Take screenshots of anything suspicious.
As part of your audit, be sure to measure any changes or anomalies in your ad performance to evaluate effectiveness and identify potential issues.
2. Monitor Affiliate Behavior
Use tracking IDs to know who’s sending what, and manage affiliate activity to prevent hijacking.
Look for affiliates with unusually high performance.
3. Advertisers: Tighten Your Affiliate Contracts
Add clear clauses like:
- No bidding on brand keywords
- No impersonation
- Real-time removal for violations
- Affiliates may only promote approved services
4. File Complaints Fast
Use Google’s Trademark Complaint Form.
Include your ad account details when submitting your complaint.
Collect evidence (screenshots, URLs, timestamps).
Send cease-and-desist letters where necessary.
5. Use Tools and Tech to Monitor 24/7
Set alerts with BrandVerity or ClickCease to harness the power of technology and automation for 24/7 ad monitoring.
Create automated Google Ads rules to flag CPC spikes.
Long-Term Prevention: Play Offense, Not Just Defense
- Bid on your own brand terms to stay on top
- Create unique landing pages that are hard to clone
- Build strong brand signals through consistent content, email, and organic presence
- Educate your team and make brand monitoring a quarterly habit
Combine these strategies to achieve a more comprehensive and robust defense against ad hijacking.
Final Thoughts
Ad hijacking isn’t a buzzword. It’s a real, quiet threat that can drain thousands from your marketing budget and hand your traffic to someone else.
Most people won’t act until the damage is obvious. But you can get ahead now by taking action at the right time to protect your paid ads before issues escalate.
Start by Googling your brand name today. Look at the ads. Do they all belong to you? If not—you know what to do.
Frequently Asked Questions about Paid Ads Hijacking
Q: How do I know if someone is hijacking my Google Ads?
A:
The most common signs of ad hijacking are drops in conversion rate, higher cost-per-click (CPC), and lower impression share—especially on your own brand keywords. You might also notice competitors or affiliates showing up in search results using your exact brand name in their ad copy. Tools like BrandVerity, SEMrush, or Adthena can help you monitor SERPs and alert you when suspicious ads are triggered for your keywords. You can also manually run incognito searches using your top keywords and check for unauthorized use of your name or messaging.
Q: What is affiliate ad hijacking and how can I prevent it?
A:
Affiliate ad hijacking occurs when an affiliate partner illegally bids on your brand keywords in paid search, redirects users through their affiliate link, and collects commission—without adding any value. They’re essentially stealing traffic you would’ve gotten anyway.
To prevent it:
- Clearly prohibit brand bidding in your affiliate program T&Cs.
- Use affiliate tracking software with IP logging to monitor suspicious behavior.
- Regularly audit your program with tools like Trackonomics, Affluent, or BrandVerity.
- Enforce consequences: warn violators or remove them from your program.
Q: Can competitors bid on my brand name in paid search ads?
A:
Yes—unfortunately, Google allows competitors to bid on your brand name as a keyword. However, they’re not allowed to use your trademarked name in the ad copy unless they are authorized. This creates a loophole where your ad appears alongside (or even beneath) competitors using your name as a trigger.
To defend your brand:
- File a trademark complaint with Google if your brand name appears in a competitor’s ad copy.
- Bid aggressively on your own brand terms to maintain top placement.
- Use ad extensions and callouts to dominate the search result real estate.
- Monitor competitor ads regularly and set up alerts for suspicious changes.
Need help protecting your brand or running a paid ads audit? I’d be happy to take a look. Contact me here.
Let’s protect what you’ve built.
If you’re new to digital marketing or looking to build a stronger foundation, this article is part of our larger Digital Marketing Learning Hub—your go-to resource for mastering the core strategies, tools, and trends that drive real growth online. From paid advertising and SEO to content creation and analytics, we break it all down into digestible, actionable guides. Think of this piece on ad hijacking as a deep dive into one critical area of paid media, and head to the main hub to explore the full picture of digital marketing success.
