How is redirection done on Google Ads?

[ispahir]

Hi

Somebody recently shared a screenshot of their Google Ads account with me that had very interesting Ad Copy. The URL on the ad copy show expedia.com and when clicked on the ad the user is taken to some affiliate page. I am running Google ads for many years and never came across anything like this brfore. How is it even possible?
I'd really appreciate if somebody can shed some light on it.

Thank You

 

[mKeehl]

cloaking I guess

 

[ispahir]

How the advertiser add the URL in the ad copy that he doesn't own and then redirect the traffic to another URl?
I mean wouldn't he need control of the ad copy URL and the website to perform cloaking?

 

[ddyynnee]

What about fully URL? it has subdomain?

 

[FusionProxy]

so, when you click on ads, you open link like this:
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk....

There google ads log that click and calculate how much clicks you got. Then it redirects you to the original page.

 

[ispahir]

What about fully URL? it has subdomain?

The final url is a completely different website and not a subdomain.

 

[SamuelBoothads]

following

 

[Seemasingh5020]

Online advertising can be a wild ride sometimes. So, about those sneaky ads with Expedia URLs leading to affiliate pages – it's definitely a head-scratcher if you're not familiar with how some folks play the game.

some advertisers use clever tactics to make their ads appear as if they're from reputable companies like Expedia, but in reality, they're just affiliates trying to drive traffic to their own sites. It often involves manipulating the URL and, well, some less-than-honorable tactics.

Google is usually quick to crack down on these kinds of shenanigans. It's always a good idea to stay vigilant and double-check the legitimacy of any ads that seem fishy.

 

[sankar2017]

its purely based on the cloaking method.

 

[raybrowngvc]

i Know the method

 

[raybrowngvc]

Hi

Somebody recently shared a screenshot of their Google Ads account with me that had very interesting Ad Copy. The URL on the ad copy show expedia.com and when clicked on the ad the user is taken to some affiliate page. I am running Google ads for many years and never came across anything like this brfore. How is it even possible?
I'd really appreciate if somebody can shed some light on it.

Thank You

what will be your offer because i know this trick

 

[ispahir]

Even for cloaking, wouldn't you need some control on the ad copy URL? or is there some kind of a tracking code used with the ad that I am missing that works with the cloaker?

 

[ispahir]

https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/g...r-direct-to-merchant-affiliate-links.1568530/

I found this thread where they are discussing something similar however it's very confusing.

 

[lighteigami]

They’re likely using domain masking or redirects, displaying Expedia’s URL while sending traffic to an affiliate link, which can sometimes bypass Google’s checks.

 

[Advertkey]

This can largely circumvent Google's inspection, and many BH niches currently do this.

 

[blackinliner]

Looks like they’re pulling a fast one with cloaking Google might not catch it now, but it’s a risky game to play!

 

[BlackInsight]

They’re likely using affiliate links with redirects, but it’s a bit tricky and could cause issues with Google if they’re not careful!

 

[Official Black Cat]

Hi

Somebody recently shared a screenshot of their Google Ads account with me that had very interesting Ad Copy. The URL on the ad copy show expedia.com and when clicked on the ad the user is taken to some affiliate page. I am running Google ads for many years and never came across anything like this brfore. How is it even possible?
I'd really appreciate if somebody can shed some light on it.

Thank You

its either the tracking template method or if you look closely it could maby exped1a.com with a 1 instead of i and they just cloak the link

if it domain is expedia.com , then its tracking template method and your buddy lurking to pull a fast one on anybody clicking his ads

 

[AdsHub]

they use tracking template method

 

[fahadahmedghazlani]

What you're describing sounds like a technique called URL masking or cloaking. It’s often used to display a trusted domain (like expedia.com) in the ad, while redirecting users to a different affiliate page upon clicking. This is against Google Ads policies and can lead to account suspension if detected. Cloaking is achieved through scripts or third-party tools but should be avoided to maintain compliance.

Let me know if you’d like a deeper explanation!

Cheers!