WebProNews

This isn't a story about acquisitions or stock prices, but Yahoo's $37 billion market cap seems like a relevant point - the company can afford some awesome advertising people.  And one employee has now outlined a handful of ways to make good ads.

 Yahoo Discusses Advertising, Cowboys

Noah Belson starts by stressing keyword inclusion; referring to products and services as "it" or "them" won't get you too far.  Keyword insertion and alt text represent the next part of his seven-item list.

The third section is, at least from a writer's perspective, especially important.  "Clear, effective titles and descriptions give searchers a distinct idea of who you are and what you have to offer," Belson points out.  "Avoid spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as poorly worded titles and descriptions."

Moving on, issues of relevance and "keyword/creative conflict" come up.  "Avoid ad copy that appears to clash with your offerings, such as a description that stresses low prices on shoes when in fact you primarily sell shirts," Belson suggests.

Finally, we land on the concepts of highlighting any (and all) competitive advantages, and testing different ads to see what works best.

These ideas may not be revolutionary, but they should at least serve as solid reminders of the basics.  Best of all, you didn't have to save up $37 billion in order to gain access to them.