'Net Features : YSM

Yahoo Search Marketing Desktop

Pete Prestipino — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:35:00 GMT

Are you search marketer that uses the AdWords Editor of AdCenter Desktop? If so, rumor has it (via Kerstin Baker Ash) that the Yahoo! Search Marketing team will soon (very soon) officially launch the Yahoo! Search Marketing Desktop.

The application (which apparently runs on Adobe Air) has much the same functionality as its Google and Microsoft counterparts. Features include bulk editing, a keyword tool, the ability to manage bid changes directly in the interface and of course, to work offline.

No official word yet from Yahoo! but we'll keep readers posted on the details as announcements happen.

PPC Spring Cleaning Tips From YSM

Pete Prestipino — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:56:00 GMT

Yes, the first day of Spring - perhaps that's why we managed to publish one post yesterday. Spring is not just on our minds, though Yahoo has kindly provided a few tips about spring cleaning for your paid search account. It's a great reminder to revisit and perhaps rethink your paid search campaigns at all the PPC providers you use (or perhaps should be using).

Perhaps the best general PPC spring cleaning tip from Yahoo! Search Marketing is related to account structure. Organizing your campaign the same way your website is structured and creating distinct campaigns for each product make it easer to manage and maintain. Advertisers may also want to further organize campaings into ad groups. Doing so makes the ads in each ad group much more relevant, since they only need to support a small number of related keywords.

Some good tips for sure. There are some others related to limiting keywords, ad quality, site relevance and duplicate keywords that are worth a review.

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Explaining Unexpected Traffic Surges

Administrator — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:11:00 GMT

The Yahoo! Search Marketing blog has a thoughtful post for search marketers on three questions to ask when unexpected traffic surges occur.

1) Have you changed anything in your account recently?
Adding keywords and changing bids can affect traffic, but so can modifying titles and description - especially in a quality score world. Sit back, take a deep breath, and think hard about what's changed within your account.

2) Are you noticing abnormal click activity, or just traffic that’s not converting?
There's a big difference between abnormal click activity and traffic that simply does not convert. Understanding the difference at the outset is crucual. If your ads are appearing on sites that do not mesh your business objectives, be proactive and consider implimenting the myriad of tools available including turning off the content network, blocking domains and geo-targeting.

3) Have you set a daily spending limit?
Setting a daily spending limit will help search advertisers control the amount they spend. If your average spend is one thing and you set the spending cap at a higher amount (what you can spend as opposed to what you are willing to spend) then you can drive traffic without breaking the bank.

YSM System Upgrades

Administrator — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:05:00 GMT

The Yahoo! Search Marketing Blog announced some system upgrades to Yahoo's paid placement system which "will help you to generate more effective keywords faster, help you better target your keywords for search, better track your metrics, and stay up to date on your campaign tune-ups."

Keyword Generator Options: Clients now have three options for adding keywords; Quick Add, Choose From List, or Research Keywords.

Excluded Keywords: Yahoo has expanded the maximum number of account-level and ad group-level excluded keywords from 50 to 250.

Enhanced Ad Optimization: Ad optimization now lets clients optimize ads for conversions, revenue or impressions (not just for clicks) so that the ads that best meet pre-defined metrics are shown more frequently.