"In an effort to provide more relevant results and a high quality experience for our users, we’ve made the decision to disallow multiple display URL domains within a single ad group," explains Emel Mutlu of the Inside AdWords Crew.

The following are acceptable for an ad group:

- www.example.com
- www.widgets.example.com
-  www.example.com/widgets/redwidgets/
-  www.example.com/index.html

These ones are not:

- www.example.com
- www.example.widgets.com

"While we understand there are legitimate use-cases for multiple display URL domains within one ad group, we ask that you use separate ad groups for each domain," says Mutlu. "This will not only provide a better user experience for your potential customers, but will also allow you to better organize and track the various domains within your AdWords account."

The change to the policy applies to ALL advertisers. Google encourages users to make sure their groups are set up properly before the 24th comes, and notes that display URLs must match the URLs of their respective landing pages.

The Super Bowl’s a marketer’s dream because it’s one of the few times a year people welcome advertisers into their homes—so long as they’re entertaining. According to comScore, about a quarter of Super Bowl viewers say they prefer the ads to the game.

What used to be multimillion-dollar punt to the masses reserved solely for the living room has become an interactive Web experience. Google’s Paulita David and Eric Lopez say that last year 84 percent of Super Bowl advertisers included a URL in their ads, and 70 percent ran search ad campaigns in conjunction with the TV ads.

Paulita and Lopez recommend to marketers with any peripheral business association with the Super Bowl be prepared to capitalize on the heavy search traffic peaking during and after the game:

“If you aren’t advertising during the Super Bowl, you can still capitalize on the big game. Sports fans will be online searching for highlights, ads and sports swag, so be where they are by uploading your own Super Bowl videos to YouTube or simply advertising next to someone else’s Super Bowl videos. The heaviest traffic will be during and after the game, so you still have time to get out a rich media blast or a MySpace text homepage take-over.”

YouTube would be a great way to gain exposure for one’s company. No doubt the most popular video site on the Web will also be flooded with traffic. YouTube has set up a special channel, called YouTube AdBlitz where voting for the best commercial takes place after the game.

Fans of E*Trade’s talking baby will be happy to know they’re bringing him back this year, especially after searches for the company shot up 1000 percent after last year’s ad ran. They’ve left that kiddo up at YouTube for your enjoyment all year. The outtakes have been viewed millions of times.    
 

Discovery Communications purchased the U.S. branch of HowStuffWorks six months ago for $250 million. The marketing campaign includes 30-second spots on Discovery’s online properties along with its TV properties.

HowStuffWorks has a monthly audience of 15 million visitors and hopes that its new campaign will increase that number. Since Discovery purchased the property the site has seen a 50 percent increase in traffic.

In Google search results, HowStuffWorks has improved its ranking but still lags behind rivals Wikipedia and About.com.

Discovery’s strategy is to drive traffic to HowStuffWorks by promoting the site on its cable channels, which includes Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel and Planet Green. Discovery is running a month long promotional campaign in July called "Keep Asking" that will feature 30-second ads on television and banner ads online in order to promote HowStuffWorks.

"This new campaign supports the site’s core value proposition of ‘making you smarter’ by motivating people to go beyond the first layer of information and get the underlying explanation, which they can find at HowStuffWorks.com," said Jeff Arnold, CEO of HowStuffWorks.com

They might as well have written, "Tell Carl to eff off, will ya?"

Yahoo’s plea also takes on the tone that Icahn’s plan lacks heart and faith in Yahoo’s ideals and future; Ichan’s desired coup is based solely on selling off the company, his historical MO, to Microsoft, which has been, at best flirtatious, and at worst self-serving.

Microsoft’s latest proposal included buying up only Yahoo’s search property, rather than a full acquisition, a proposal Yang and Yahoo executives feel isn’t beneficial to Yahoo in any way. Yahoo plans to leverage Google’s help in the eventual convergence of search and display advertising.

That’s interesting in light of recent theories.

"Despite all the challenges we’ve been through," said Yang, "including Microsoft’s unsolicited proposal and now a proxy contest by Carl Icahn, Yahoo! remains a unique value proposition. Our ubiquitous brand name, top-ranked online properties and deep talent pool have enabled us to continue to drive our ‘starting points’ and ‘must buy’ strategies. The combination of our leading positions in search and display together with the benefits expected from our recently-signed agreement with Google make us exceptionally well-positioned to capitalize on the convergence of search and display."

The presentation emphasizes how often Microsoft has withdrawn or changed its interest. "Microsoft unequivocally stated that it had no intention of making a full company acquisition and clarified on June 8 that it would not do so even at the price range it had previously suggested."

Despite that, Yahoo had shown a willingness to deal with Microsoft, but the Beast of Redmond had failed to pick up the phone, causing Yahoo executives to doubt Microsoft’s sincerity. Microsoft’s proposal to create a hybrid search property "makes no sense for the Company, financially or strategically."

Microsoft’s proposal meant no change in cash flow, and would have left Yahoo dependent on Microsoft to monetize search results and compete with Google, which Microsoft has not shown an ability to do. That last one was a pretty hard shot, and followed Yahoo’s belief that Microsoft’s estimates for Yahoo’s cost savings were "unrealistic."

The agreement with Google, by contrast, is expected to generate up to $450 million in cash flow for Yahoo while providing the company with the flexibility to innovate in search or deal with Microsoft again in the future—you know, if Microsoft ever gets its stuff together and makes a reasonable offer.

Yahoo called Icahn’s plan, then, to sell to Microsoft "ill-defined," especially since Microsoft has pussyfooted around so much. Icahn’s demands, the company argues, are either "moot or would jeopardize the Company’s ability to execute on its strategic plan."