Jan 24
Yahoo Pay Per Click is changing
I got this e-mail this morning - looks like the pay per click model has changed drastically. It is strange that the highest bid no longer is going to be the way they gauge the ads. What I find curious is how Yahoo gauges the relevancy of each ad. This makes the black box concept of Pay Per Click more pronounced - for now you are not in control - Yahoo is. I think the key issue is to make sure whatever description you place in your ads must also be on the web page. - If I understand how this works.
Bid Amount and Ad Quality will Determine an Ad’s Rank in Search Results Beginning February 5, 2007 in the U.S.
With new features like ad testing, geo-targeting and fast ad activation, the new Sponsored Search system gives you more ways to connect with customers searching for what you sell.
On February 5, 2007, we are introducing a new ranking model in the U.S. that considers an ad’s quality and bid amount. The new model is designed to help you spend less time in bidding wars and more time creating the most relevant, effective ads, which can help drive better results for your business.
Here’s a quick summary of this important change:
- Both bid amount and ad quality will determine an ad’s rank in search results beginning February 5, 2007.
- This will replace the current method, in which ads in search results are ranked by bid amount only (bid-to-position).
- This is designed to allow you to focus less on competitive bidding practices and more on the quality of your ads.
- By improving the quality of your ads and making them more relevant to users, you may be rewarded with a better ranking and/or a lower cost for your ads.
Example of How Ads May be Ranked
The graphic below helps illustrate a scenario that may result from this change:
Note: The graphic above is provided for illustrative purposes only, and will not actually appear in your account.
What is “Ad Quality”?
Ad quality is determined by:
- The ad’s historical performance - its click-through rate relative to competitors and normalized for position.
- The ad’s expected performance - determined by various relevance factors considered by Yahoo!’s ranking algorithms, relative to other ads displayed at the same time.
Overall ad quality is displayed in graphical form by the quality index.
Other Important Things to Know
- We recommend that you review your current max bids. Keep in mind you may be charged up to this amount. Learn More.
- Standard match type ads will no longer receive priority placement over Advanced match type ads. Learn More.
- Fewer Sponsored Search results may now appear at the very top of the page for certain search terms. Learn More.
Once you’ve upgraded to the new Sponsored Search system, you’ll be able to gain an understanding of your ad’s overall quality by looking at its quality index. If you would like to upgrade now, please submit your request to our Online Reservation Page, and we will try to accommodate your request.
