How RocketPlay Reduced Ad Hijacking Pressure and Recovered Branded Clicks
RocketPlay had branded search demand, but unauthorized ads and affiliate placements were intercepting users before they reached the official brand. AdFlagger helped expose the problem, remove the offending ads, and return more demand to RocketPlay’s own search journey.
Branded clicks were being bought before RocketPlay could win them organically
RocketPlay is a fast-growing online casino brand across tier-1 markets. Its brand searches already had purchase intent, but competitors, affiliates, and unauthorized advertisers were appearing on branded queries and sending users into journeys RocketPlay did not control.
Unauthorized ads above the brand
High-intent users saw alternative offers before the official result.
Affiliate and competitor leakage
Paid placements redirected demand that RocketPlay had already created.
Rising branded CPC pressure
The brand had to pay more to defend clicks that should have been easier to capture.
What made the problem hard to control manually
Violations were not always visible from one office, device, country, or moment. Ads could rotate, cloak destinations, change copy, or appear only in selected markets. Manual spot checks created screenshots, but not a reliable enforcement system.
From hidden ad hijacking to a managed takedown workflow
AdFlagger combined detection, evidence, complaint handling, and outcome tracking so RocketPlay could move from scattered manual checks to a repeatable enforcement process.
Detect
Monitor branded keywords across markets, devices, and times.
Validate
Confirm who appeared, what was shown, and where the user journey led.
Remove
Submit evidence-led complaints against unauthorized branded ads.
Track
Report removals, recurrences, traffic changes, and remaining exposure.
What changed after enforcement
Chart drawn from RocketPlay’s clicks and impressions data. Branded clicks and impressions recovered after enforcement. RocketPlay saw the first visible results after two weeks, with substantial results after six weeks.
Substantial results: 6 weeks
RocketPlay recovered control over branded demand
AdFlagger’s work made the leakage visible, reduced unauthorized ad pressure, and helped the official brand capture more of the traffic it had already earned.
Fewer unwanted ads
Unauthorized placements were identified and removed through a tracked workflow.
Cleaner branded SERP
Users had a clearer path to RocketPlay instead of misleading ad journeys.
Better budget defense
Reduced hijacking pressure supported lower waste on defensive branded demand.
Ad hijacking was not one ad. It was a rotating market problem.
During the scan, AdFlagger found more than 350 unauthorized domains actively running ads around RocketPlay brand keywords. Many were cloaked, geo-targeted, or changing ad copy, which is exactly why one-time manual checks were not enough.
When we scanned RocketPlay’s brand keywords, we found over 350 unauthorized domains actively running ads. CPC averaged around $20 for their own name. The first visible results appeared after two weeks, with substantial results after six weeks. Enforcement reduced the pressure and opened the path for more clicks to return to the official site.
AdFlagger Team
Branded search started sending more users to the official site
Branded search clicks measure how often users reach the official site from search. Ad exposure is tracked separately.
Branded search recovery
Clicks rose while parasite ad pressure dropped.
Substantial results: 6 weeks
+48%
from ~3.5K to ~5.2K daily clicks
-71%
from high leakage to controlled SERP
Unauthorized ad exposure after takedown
Follow-up checks help show whether unauthorized ads remain visible or reappear. Each finding can be reviewed alongside the related takedown action.
Want RocketPlay-style control over your branded search?
Book a call and we will review where your branded demand may be leaking: unauthorized ads, affiliate bidding, cloned landing pages, or traffic paths you do not control.
RocketPlay Case Study Questions
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