iGaming affiliate brand protection
STARS PARTNERS
Brand Bidding Case Study
Unauthorized ads were competing for one brand's search traffic. AdFlagger investigated the activity and took action against the placements. Branded Google clicks to the site rose from 6.6k to 11.6k in four weeks: an increase of 75.8%.
STARS PARTNERS is an affiliate company. This case follows one unnamed brand.
The scan found ads competing for branded searches
The problem appeared around searches containing the brand's name. Other advertisers were bidding on those terms, while affiliate placements were bringing in branded traffic. Branded Google clicks to the site were 6.6k on 20 May.
That combination called for a closer look at the search results. A person who types a brand name may already know which site they want to visit. An ad can put another destination in front of them before they reach it.
We scanned the branded searches to examine the advertising activity. The work covered branded-term monitoring, affiliate activity and cloaking, followed by action against unauthorized ads.
Affiliate activity needed a closer look
For an affiliate company, the presence of an affiliate link tells only part of the story. The advertiser's permission to use the brand, the wording of the ad and the destination all matter.
The STARS PARTNERS work included affiliate and cloaking detection. This was relevant to the underlying problem: a placement could attract a branded search without making its relationship to the brand clear.
In this type of review, the useful question is whether the placement matches the brand's permissions. An approved partner and an unauthorized advertiser need different treatment. The guide to affiliate brand bidding explains that distinction in more detail.
We acted on the ads and kept monitoring
AdFlagger's work combined three activities:
Monitor branded terms
Look for advertising activity around the brand's searches.
Review affiliate and cloaking signals
Examine the placements that needed closer investigation.
Act on unauthorized ads and watch for new hijacks
Continue monitoring as the advertising activity changed.
Branded Google clicks grew 75.8% in four weeks
Branded Google clicks to the site increased from 6.6k on 20 May to 11.6k on 17 June, a rise of 75.8% over four weeks. The case also records increases in visits, from 123.9k to 249.8k, and unique visitors, from 37.5k to 49.3k.
Compare the figures
Choose a metric to see its before-and-after values.
Each comparison uses its own scale. All three metrics appear in the table below.
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visits | 123.9k | 249.8k | +101.6% |
| Unique visitors | 37.5k | 49.3k | +31.5% |
| Branded Google clicks | 6.6k | 11.6k | +75.8% |
Visits grew faster than the number of unique visitors. The distinction matters: one person can make more than one visit, so the two rows describe different parts of the traffic change.
The four-week result refers to branded Google clicks. Visits and unique visitors are separate comparisons. Percentages use rounded case figures, and the traffic change does not isolate enforcement from other activity.
Seeing similar ads around your brand?
Bring a branded query, market or representative ad. We can look at the finding and discuss the appropriate next step.
What to check in your own search results
Start with a search that concerns you. Save the ad as it appears, its displayed URL, the destination you reached and the time and market of the observation. If an affiliate may be involved, keep the relevant permission context with it.
Those details make a first review more useful than a general statement that traffic has fallen. They help the team investigate a specific placement and decide what evidence is needed next. Our ads takedown evidence checklist covers the supporting material.
If you have a similar result in front of you, send us that first signal using the form below.