Yahoo’s New Sponsored Search rivals Google Ad Words!
Over the last month or so Yahoo has rolled out and moved over their paid search advertisers to a new Sponsored Search platform. To be honest when I first starting seeing all the emails and releases the following thoughts went through my head:
- It will probably be identical to Google
- What a pain to have to learn their new system and migrate all the accounts over to the new platform
- Maybe if I ignore it, it will just go away!
Truth be told - I never really like the old Yahoo platform. It was hard to see, it was extremely slow, and did not provide some of the main functionality that Google did. In fact I often steered clients away from Yahoo because I didn’t want to have the hassle of managing their account on the Yahoo platform.
Yahoo didn’t seem to care what I thought, (not that they even knew) - they were going to go ahead and migrate toward the new sponsored search anyway. To their credit, they have made the process easy, provided numerous ways to learn the new system - and the features truly are a step ahead in search advertising.
If you were excited about the new platform, Yahoo gave you the opportunity to request an early upgrade; otherwise existing accounts were given a role over date and communicated to with several subtle email reminders. Yahoo even created a blog that walked you through what to expect in plain an easy to understand language. On their blog, you can find reassurance with the messages such as, “we’ve posted a number of articles to help you prepare your account and smooth your upgrade.” Humorously they also warn, “Keep in mind that whether you’re a trendy early adopter or a conservative dallier (or simply a habitual procrastinator), you will be upgraded eventually, so it’s best to be prepared.”
How can you prepare? This transition was also well thought out by Yahoo, offering online webinars, tutorials, or the ability to preview your account on the new platform. The upgrade Center and Quick start guide addressed all of the FAQ’s as well as fears advertisers might have. Did you know that Yahoo! Search Marketing offers monthly Training Seminars and Workshops in different locations throughout the country? Who knew?
But is it all worth it? As Yahoo states, “ there are lots of benefits that come with upgrading to the new platform, including an easy-to-use control panel, fast ad activation that allows most ads to go online in minutes, ad testing that allows you to see which ads work best, geo-targeting, enhanced campaign budgeting, forecasting and scheduling, and greater visibility into your ads’ performance.”
They are right! The new dashboard allows you to see important alerts, best performing campaigns and new opportunities at a glance. One of the other features I am really impressed with is the ability to grant others permission to work on campaigns, while limiting their access by defining users as; Account Administrator, Account Manager, Campaign Manager or Analyst! How fun! You don’t want everyone messing with your campaigns!
After attending a webinar and reading the information in the upgrade center, I felt I had a pretty good handle on the new product. Then I received a notice stating:
“As you know, the Yahoo! Search Marketing Ambassador learning modules and test have been updated to reflect the new features and enhancements to Yahoo! Sponsored Search. We encourage you to study the new materials to enable you to continue to best serve your clients. To retain your Ambassador designation beyond January 31st, 2007, you are required to pass this new test.”Ugh, this put me into a little bit of a panic knowing I would have to take the test again! I do however give them credit that to be certified with Yahoo! they want to make sure that anyone with the Ambassador Designation has a complete understanding of Yahoo Sponsored Search.
Overall for such a big migration I have to applaud Yahoo! For their communication, guidance and an outstanding product. Now I am just waiting for Google to announce their improved Google Ad words program! Game on!
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