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The rise of online advertising available from the search engines parallels their rise; at SES Chicago, speakers from Yahoo, Google, and other firms discussed the world of contextual and non-search ads.

Contextual ads have helped make Google wealthy and drawn Microsoft's attention to the field. How have they helped you? Let us know on WebProWorld.

Rich Ord delivered some notes to those of us who didn't make the trip to Chicago for the latest rev of the Search Engine Strategies conference.

In a morning session on Dealing With Contextual & Other Non-Search Ads', Reprise Media's Peter Hershberg took note of the Microsoft effect on search commenting that "competition from msn in the future will motivate Google to offer further improvements."

In Hershberg's point of view, Google managed to attain its place in contextual search because they had minimal competition for that market. The decision to offer smart auction-based pricing over the market's desire for typical pricing schemes played a role in Google's growth.

Indeed, during her talk later, Google manager for AdWords Hillary Hoover Keller said "there has been a 50% increase in advertiser ROI since the launch of smart pricing."

What's next? Hershberg thinks more behavioral targeting and specialization options loom in the future, along with additional channels for distribution.

Yahoo wants to raise the bar for distribution. Barry Chu from Yahoo! Search Marketing noted how the portal company wants better destinations for its network of advertisers: (O)ur thought has always been to focus on quality distribution of sites ... creating a more desirable target audience...It is very difficult to get into the Yahoo Publisher Network because we have very high standards.

Getting into Google's network as a publisher is a trivial task, but succeeding as an advertiser requires a different way of thinking. Online marketing firm NewGate's VP Brad Byrd noted theme consistency is the key for advertisers: Google thinks about page content and ads in AdSense in a fanatical way...If you are conducting an AdSense campaign focus on an overall theme.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.