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Yahoo Answers Questions About Microsoft Integration

Last week, Yahoo posted an update about the search alliance with Microsoft, indicating ...
Yahoo Answers Questions About Microsoft Integration
Written by Chris Crum
  • Last week, Yahoo posted an update about the search alliance with Microsoft, indicating that it would "protect the holiday period," "ensure a quality transition," and "provide a window-of-time." Advertisers were still left with questions, however, and Yahoo has addressed some of them today.

    One questioned was whether or not adCenter accepts PayPal payments, and the answer is yes. Another one was about the use of liquor keywords that are currently used on Yahoo, and if they will still work with Microsoft, as their current policy does not allow them.

    Microsoft and Yahoo Search Alliance - Before Holidays"After the transition, Yahoo! will have the ability to continue to display some ads that Microsoft does not currently display on its own sites (e.g., adult ads), and vice versa," answers Yahoo’s Jeff Hecox. "However, no specific decision has been announced regarding liquor-related keywords."

    Someone asked about whether there will still be two platforms within adCenter. "All Sponsored Search advertisers will use the adCenter platform for their paid search campaigns following their transition, and the Yahoo! Sponsored Search system will be decommissioned," explains Hecox. "Once Yahoo! Sponsored Search advertisers are transitioned to Microsoft’s search platforms, we anticipate that advertisers will be provided with distribution controls that will allow them to select traffic from the combined marketplace of Bing and Yahoo!, or from the full affiliate network. However, advertisers will not be permitted to select traffic only from Bing or only from Yahoo! Search."

    Someone asked about singular/plural keywords, as Yahoo views them as the same but Microsoft doesn’t. Yahoo says the companies will review discrepancies and make modifications as necessary.

    A few other pieces of information from Yahoo’s answers include:

    – The companies have not yet determined whether Flash-driven and video capture pages will be allowed.

    – Advertisers will be able to select traffic from the combined marketplace of Bing and Yahoo!, or from the full affiliate network, but they won’t be able to select traffic only from Bing or only from Yahoo! Search, nor will reporting break out traffic volume from Bing and Yahoo! individually.

    – There are differences in features between Microsoft’s and Yahoo’s products, and Yahoo says they can’t guarantee that all Yahoo features will be matched in Microsoft’s. This was in response to a question about tracking URLs.

    – The companies are reviewing the current reporting capabilities offered by each to determine which reports and data will be offered to advertisers

    While Yahoo has addressed several questions, there are no doubt plenty more that remain unanswered.

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