Ad Hijacking

Intercepting or redirecting traffic intended for a competitor by bidding on their branded terms, mimicking ad copy, or manipulating ad placement.

Common Techniques

Bidding on competitor names or product terms in search ads to appear alongside or above their official listings.

Designing ads that closely resemble a competitor’s visual identity or messaging to confuse users and capture clicks.

Placing paid ads that reroute affiliate-driven traffic, capturing conversions that would otherwise be attributed to partners.

Using similar or misspelled domains in ads to mislead users into engaging with a different brand.

Running ads that promise the competitor’s offering but redirect to alternate or comparative landing pages.