“Let Me Yahoo That”

by Samira Hassam on January 24, 2012

When recently speaking to my Dad  about searching for something on the internet (probably whilst trying to explain what I do for a living), he seemed surprised to hear that there are actually other search engines apart from Google.

Whilst our parents’ generation may be excused for this lapse in knowledge, how many other people can say that they use Yahoo or Bing on a regular basis? Although I’m sure that this number will not be as small as you might think, it is undeniable that Google is the first port of call for most internet users.

Yahoo Rich Ad

Due to the sheer volume that Google commands, it is easy as an advertiser to discard Yahoo as not worth spending time over, however Yahoo have been bringing innovative ad formats in recent months which make it worth considering when putting together your media plans.

We’ve recently seen the arrival of Rich Ads on Yahoo which incorporate non text creative into their PPC ads. These allow you to incorporate video and TV assets into your ad, display your brand logo or add deep links to your website.

These ads are only available on brand terms and are paid for on a tenancy style basis for a fix fee per month regardless of how many clicks you receive. Whilst costs need to be considered if you currently pay less on Yahoo than this monthly fee is, they are worth considering for branding campaigns as the prominence of the ad with your brand logo, as well as the “real estate” that they take up on the results page could be valuable in promoting your brand message.

Rich ads are worth bearing in mind if your client has just released a TV ad, as they could be a good way to promote a particular offer or promotion, as videos can be expanded and watched on the results page.

The “deep links” that Yahoo offer in their Rich Ads, seem to be the sitelinks that they currently don’t offer on regular ads. Whilst this may be a step behind Google, this will still give you a leg up on other advertisers in the Yahoo results page and is therefore worth considering.

Hopefully, Yahoo will keep up with these innovative ad formats, as it is refreshing to try new alternatives that challenge Google – perhaps in the future we will be able to use the phrase “Let me Yahoo that!”

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Google Analytics Gets Better

by GlenMcMurry on October 19, 2011

Google recently announced that multi-channel funnels will be made available to all analytics users. The cutting edge of analytics tools gives the user the ability properly attribute conversions to the different channels in the customer online journey. As attribution has become the latest buzz word heard around media agencies everywhere, this is a very timely product for Google to roll out. What could possibly be the best two functions of the new multi-channel funnels are highlighted after the jump. [click to continue…]

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The Steve Jobs Legacy

October 14, 2011

Last week saw the death of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple. His death has brought in many tributes from friends, admirers and commercial enemies alike. Touchingly, Google, whose phone operating system Android is Apple’s long standing rival, displayed a tribute to Jobs on their home page with the words “Steve Jobs, 1955-2011” under the search [...]

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Happy 13th Birthday Google!

October 7, 2011

It’s hard to think of a world without search engines. From the moment I wake up, search engines let me check whether my trains are running on time or not, allowing me to forgo breakfast or treat myself to something nice before my morning commute. As soon as I’ve stepped into work, I’ve got emails [...]

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Alphabetti Spaghetti – What Does A Name Mean To A Brand?

September 14, 2011

It is common knowledge that it is Google’s ambition to take over the world, but with the release of the new Android Operating System – the Ice Cream Sandwich – is it possible that Google’s new tactic is to tempt us into purchase of their products because they sound so delicious? So I thought to [...]

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10 Years Past: Remembering 9/11

September 12, 2011

Today is the opening day of the 9/11 memorial in New York City. Two simple, dignified footprints where the Twin Towers once stood. I grew up some thousands of miles away from the epicentre of the attacks, but even in Colorado, the middle of America, the fear rippled through the country as we watched our [...]

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Expanded Sitelinks Are Much Like Marmite: You Either Love It Or Hate It

September 5, 2011

You may have noticed that over the past few weeks, the search engine result page Google presents its users has changed slightly. What used to be a handy small feature that directed visitors towards more pages on your site, has now been ‘improved’ to take a sizeable chunk of the visual real estate ‘above the [...]

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Is it ethical to bid on The London Riots Keywords?

September 1, 2011

Between the 6th and 10th August this year, riots began in London and spread to other cities around England.  Many people, myself included, have not seen anything like this so close to home.  I wanted all the information I could get on the event so I found myself searching for information ceaselessly.  I knew I would [...]

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