Sponsored links: why and how to protect your ads?

The vast majority of companies combine organic and paid traffic to achieve their marketing results. And among the paid actions are sponsored links—ads designed to occupy the top positions on Google.
But it's not just your brand that sees the powerful potential of sponsored links: scammers and fraudsters also see in them the perfect opportunity to hijack your results.
Want to understand more about what sponsored links are, their importance in marketing, and how to protect your ads? Join Branddi and check out a complete guide on how to safeguard your sponsored ads!

What are sponsored links?

‍As mentioned above, sponsored links are paid ads that appear in prominent positions in search engine results, such as Google and Bing. This type of digital advertising allows companies to promote their products and services in a targeted way, reaching specific audiences more easily.
With pricing usually based on a cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) model, sponsored links prove to be an effective strategy. After all, this strategy ensures visibility and increases qualified traffic to a brand's website or landing page.

Different types of sponsored links

‍There are several platforms and formats for sponsored link campaigns, each with its own particularities. That is, if they were once restricted to text ads in search engines, today these ads already encompass a variety of formats and platforms.
Thus, they allow a richer and more personalized experience for the user. Check out the main types of sponsored links:

• Search sponsored links: the most common type, appearing directly in search results based on specific keywords;
• Social media sponsored links: published on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, these ads are highly targeted to audiences with specific interests;
• Display sponsored links: these are visual ads shown on partner websites and blogs, focusing more on visibility and brand strengthening;
• Video ad sponsored links: finally, video ads, very common on platforms like YouTube, are effective in engaging audiences and increasing brand awareness.

Why are sponsored links important for brands?

‍For brands, sponsored links are a valuable digital marketing tool, allowing immediate and effective exposure to the target audience. In other words, unlike organic results, which require time and effort to optimize, sponsored links guarantee a privileged position instantly.
Moreover, with advanced targeting options, brands can direct ads to specific audiences, optimizing investment and increasing ROI.

But these are not the only advantages. Sponsored links are also capable of:

Providing immediate visibility

‍With sponsored links, a brand can occupy prominent positions in search engines and platforms right after the campaign launch. This means that instead of waiting months to reach the top positions, the brand can gain immediate visibility with its target audience.

Allowing precise targeting

‍With precise targeting, it's possible to define the target audience in detail. That is, factors such as geographic location, age, interests, and behaviors are used to create customer profiles.
Thus, by defining the audience with precision, marketing campaigns become more effective and generate better results, since they allow ads to be directed to people who are more likely to be interested in the product or service.

Bringing more budget control

‍With sponsored link campaigns, it is possible to have precise budget control. By setting a daily or total limit, brands avoid overspending and optimize their investments.
This flexibility allows spending to be adjusted according to goals and desired return on investment, ensuring that the campaign is sustainable.

Supporting result measurement

‍With the analytics tools of ad platforms, it’s possible to closely monitor the performance of ad campaigns.
This data provides valuable insights to optimize results and achieve campaign goals, identifying which ads are generating more clicks and conversions.
By optimizing campaigns, companies can increase their return on investment by making more informed decisions based on the presented scenario.

Why is it important to protect your sponsored links?

‍As we saw above, protecting sponsored links is a crucial step for any company investing in online advertising. That’s because, by ensuring the security and integrity of your campaigns, you also protect your investment and maximize your results.
One of the main reasons to protect your sponsored links is to prevent competitors or third parties from improperly using your brand. After all, by using your brand as a keyword, a competitor can drive traffic to their own site, harming your visibility and reputation.
Additionally, brand protection ensures that your ads are displayed correctly and consistently, avoiding false or misleading information being associated with your company.

But then, if it represents such an essential asset for a brand’s profitability, how can you protect your business’s sponsored links?

How to protect your brand’s sponsored links

‍As we’ve seen, protecting your sponsored links is essential to ensure brand integrity, prevent unfair competition, and maximize ROI. But how can this protection be done strategically and efficiently? That’s where Branddi comes in: offering specialized support that combines human expertise, artificial intelligence, and cutting-edge technology!
Check out three tips to keep your campaigns and results secure:

Register your brand

‍Trademark registration with the INPI is the first essential step to protect your sponsored links. That’s because, by registering your brand, you acquire the exclusive right to use it throughout the national territory, preventing third parties from using it improperly.
This legal protection is crucial to prevent unfair competition, protect your reputation, and ensure that your ads are targeted to the correct audience. Moreover, brand registration makes it easier to report any type of violation and strengthens your position in potential legal disputes.

Report misuse

‍If you identify that your brand is being misused in sponsored links by third parties, it’s crucial to act quickly. This way, you can protect your reputation and prevent damage to your company.
Advertising platforms like Google, Facebook, and others have mechanisms to handle such situations and usually respond to reports of trademark misuse. However, this is not always enough.
That’s where 24/7 continuous monitoring comes in, like what we do at Branddi, ensuring a more proactive and less reactive approach in such cases.

Continuously monitor your sponsored ads

‍By closely monitoring search engines, social media, and other online platforms, you can quickly identify any violation of your registered trademark. In other words, you can take swift and effective action, such as reporting to the advertising platform or notifying the infringer.
Moreover, monitoring allows you to track competitors’ campaigns, identify new market trends, and adjust your strategies, ensuring your brand stays competitive and protected.
Here at Branddi, we do much more: because, in addition to actively monitoring registrars, servers, hosting systems, browsers, and ad platforms, we also act to eliminate these threats.
To do so, we track the source and send extrajudicial notifications, achieving a 99% success rate in takedowns of fake ads and an 80% reduction in complaints.
Get in touch with our team and shield your brand against these violations!

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