Yahoo! Search Marketing Match Types:

Overview: Match Types

• Overview
  
• Standard Match Type
  
• Advanced Match Type
  
• Excluded Words
  
• How It Works
  
• Benefits
  
• Tips & Best Practices
  

Overview

For your Sponsored Search
distribution tactic, Yahoo offers two match types by which your ads may be displayed:

• Standard match type – for exact matches of your keywords or their minor variations.
  
• Advanced match type – for matches that use your keywords in various contexts.
  

When using Advanced match type, Yahoo also provide you with Excluded Words option to help refine your matches by filtering out searches that are not relevant to your business.

 

Standard Match Type

The Standard match type displays your ads for exact matches to your keywords, as well as for singular/plural variations and common misspellings.

 

Example

If you advertise on the keyword "plasma television," your ad may be shown for the following search queries:

Advanced Match Type

The Advanced match type extends your reach by displaying your ads for a broader range of search related to your keywords, titles, descriptions, and/or web content. The Advanced match type also includes keywords from Standard match type queries.

Example

If you advertise on the keyword "plasma television," your ad may be shown for the following search queries:

Excluded Words

When using advanced match type, it's important to use the Excluded Words feature to help block unwanted searches that you believe may not be relevant to what you are offering. Please note that the Excluded Word feature is not available to the Standard match type.

This feature helps refine your matches as illustrated in the examples below:

Using Advanced match type for following keywords:	You may want to use following Excluded Words:	Reason to block:
color television	used	You only sell new televisions
ski lessons	children	You only offer lessons to adults
beachfront condo	for sale	You only rent condos
designer shoes	repair	You only sell designer shoes

 

Things to Note:

• Excluded Words can be set at the account level (in the Administration tab) and ad group level (in the Ad Group Setting page).
  
• At the account level, it will help block out unrelated search terms that you select for all ad groups in your account. For example, if you only sell new products, you may want to exclude "used" at the account level.
  
• At the ad group level, it will only help block out unrelated search terms for that specific ad group.
  
• You may add up to 250 Excluded Words (or phrases) at both the account and ad group levels.
  

Note:

If you add a large number of excluded words at the ad group level, you may experience issues with bulk management. In bulk submission spreadsheet, all ad group-level excluded words are listed one per row, so adding a lot of excluded words could increase the number of rows past Excel 2003's 65,000-row limit..

If you experience any difficulty with account bulk downloads, please contact Yahoo Customer Solutions department or your account manager for possible solutions.

 

Benefits

 

Match type options allow you to:

• Either target specific keywords or expand your reach by displaying your ads for a broader range of relevant searches.
  
• Help improve your performance by broadening and/or targeting your results using our match type features.
  

With Advanced match type, you can:

• Target additional potential customers based on the existing content of your ad, which can help you save time and effort in managing new keywords.
  
• Keep your results relevant and focus your budget on the likeliest customers by using the Excluded Words feature to block certain searches that you believe will not apply to your products or services.
  

How It Works

You can manage your match types at different levels in your account, which gives you more control on how you manage your match types.

Setting match type to "Standard" at this level:	Has this impact:	Maximum number of excluded words when using Advanced match type
Account	Sets match type to Standard for all campaigns, ad groups and keywords in the entire account.	Up to 250 words and/or phrases
Campaign	Sets match type to Standard for all ad groups and keywords in a single campaign.	Excluded words are not available at this level
Ad Group	Sets the match type to Standard for all keywords within a specific ad group.	Up to 250 words and/or phrases
Keyword	Sets match type to Standard for a specific keyword.

 

Key points:

• The "Standard" match typesetting overrides any "Advanced" settings in levels below it.
  
• If you select the Standard match typesetting at the account level, all of the campaigns, ad groups and keywords in your entire account will be defaulted to the Standard match type, regardless of the settings at the lower levels.
  
• If you want to use the Advanced match type at any level of your account, all match type settings in the levels above it must also be set to "Advanced."
  
• Think of your account-level setting like the electrical circuit breaker in your house: If your circuit breaker is off, none of your outlets or appliances will work. Similarly, if your account is turned "off" to the Advanced match type (by selecting Standard), then none of your ads can be displayed for an advanced match type result.
  

Example:

• You selected "Advanced" as your match type setting for a few of your ad groups.
  
• After testing, you decide that you would prefer all your ad groups in one campaign to be set to the "Standard" match type only.
  
• You can most easily make this change by setting your match type setting to "Standard" at the campaign level. (Then you do not have to switch it to "Standard" for each individual ad group.)
  

Tips & Best Practices

• Use Advanced match type for keywords that are specific to the service or products you offer.
  
• Try to avoid Advanced match type for generic terms such as "television" or "books" because you may receive traffic from searches not closely related to what you are offering.
  
• Improve your campaign performance by applying Excluded Words at both account and ad group level.
  
• Learn which terms to exclude by looking at your web server logs; work with your web developer to obtain this information.
  
• Identify the keywords that do not apply to your business but may be commonly used by potential customers.
  
• Be selective when choosing your Excluded Words at the account level since they apply to all keywords in your account.
  
• Choose keywords for each ad group carefully.
  
• Grouping similar keywords into separate ad groups may allow you to set Excluded Words that apply to the specific keywords in each ad group.
  
• Selecting the most appropriate keywords using Advanced match type may help you get more potential customers.
  
• As you set your bids, keep in mind that Advanced and Standard match type ads receive equal priority in appearing in search results
  

Ask Sponsored Listings Editorial Guidelines

The Ask Jeeves-Google partnership isn't ending. Google's ads will continue to show up on Ask Jeeves. But now, any advertiser that wishes will easily be able to purchase placement directly through Ask Jeeves itself.

Based on years of experience with both businesses and searchers, these guidelines will help you create high-performance listings that drive more qualified traffic to your pages. It is your responsibility to make sure your listings adhere to the guidelines. Ask Sponsored Listings (ASL) may reject listings that do not adhere to the guidelines or that it deems otherwise inappropriate.

There are four high level principles upon which the guidelines are based:

• Ad Copy: A listing must accurately represent the linked page and keyword at all times.
  
  • Editorial Discretion
    
    • To help expedite the approval process of your ads, the Ask Sponsored Listings Editorial Team may correct spacing and spelling errors when found in the title and description of your copy. An email will be sent to alert you when any of your ads have been modified.
      

    
     

  • Grammar and Spelling
    
    • Capitalization
      
      • Unacceptable
        - Unnecessary capitalization that is solely used for emphasis is unacceptable (ex: "FREE upgrade", "Buy NOW")
        
      • Acceptable
        - Acronyms (ex: "ASAP", "OK")
        - Company name if the brand name is capitalized (ex: "DELL")
        
    • Spacing
      
      • Unacceptable
        - Incorrect spacing between words, letters and punctuation is unacceptable (ex: "Mortgage.Rate", "Mortgage ! Rate", "M o r t g a g e", "Mortgagerate")
        
      • Acceptable
        - Correct spacing between #'s and symbols (ex: #353-6121, $49.99)
        - Display URL in ad copy (ex: www.AskJeeves.com – AskJeeves is OK in ad copy)
        
    • Spelling
      
      • Unacceptable
        - Obvious Misspellings are unacceptable (ex: Recieve, Guarantie)
        
    • Characters
      
      • Unacceptable
        - Symbols, Numbers and Letters in place of words (ex: Make $$$, Find a # of products, Look 4 it here, We care about U)
        

    
     

  • Punctuation
    
    • Exclamation Point
      
      • Unacceptable
        - Ads that include more than one exclamation point will not be accepted
        
    • Unnecessary Punctuation
      
      • Unacceptable
        - Punctuation used for extra and unnecessary emphasis is unacceptable (ex: *Free Upgrade*, <>)
        
      • Acceptable
        - Common punctuation (ex: Set up your account today!)
        

    
     

  • Repetition
    
    • Repetitive Punctuation
      
      • Unacceptable
        - Buy here...
        
    • Repetitive Words
      
      • Unacceptable
        - Buy buy buy here, free free free upgrade
        

    
     

  • Style
    
    • Call to Action
      
      • Refrain from using general Call to action phrases (ex: Click here, Visit us, Apply now)
        (ex: Click for your free horoscope today, Apply for 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 Months!)
        
    • Superlatives
      
      • Refrain from using superlative language such as, Lowest Price, Highest Quality, Best Car, # 1 Computer Software, Largest.
        
      • Superlative language must be supported on the landing page by third party verification/certification (i.e. Voted #1 by ZNet.com)
        
    • Competitive Advantages
      
      • Competitive advantage claims such as, Better than, Superior to, and Cheaper than, must be supported on the landing page
        
    • Offensive Language
      
      • Refrain from using language that is explicit, inappropriate, or offensive
        
• Keywords: There must be a clear and obvious connection between the keyword phrase and the content or purpose of the ad copy and destination page.
  
  • Relevance
    
    • There must be a clear and obvious connection between the keyword phrase and the content or purpose of the landing page. It must be apparent that the level of service or product implied by the keyword is offered on the site.
      
    • Generally search engines, directories, encyclopedias, and similar broad reference sites covering a wide range of content may not bid on specific terms for keywords that relate to content found only by searching or browsing deep within the site
      
    • General terms can be used only for pages that cover a topic with a wide range of products, services, or offers.
      

    
     

  • Geographic
    
    • If a listing serves a limited geographic location, the keyword phrase should include an appropriate geographic modifier. Geographic keyword phrases should include a product or service in addition to the geographic location ("Houston homes for sale" instead of "Houston, Texas").
      
    • Foreign-language keywords may be purchased as long as the targeted site is in English or Spanish, suitable for an audience based in the U.S. or Canada and the terms are relevant to that site.
      

    
     

  • Trademark Issues
    
    • Please refer to the ASL Trademark Policy
      
• URLs: The listing URL must be fully accessible, functional and loadable at all times.
  
  • Display URL
    
    • Your display URL must be an accurate representation of your website.
      
    • Your display URL must include an extension (.net, .edu, .com, etc.).
      

    
     

  • Destination URL
    
    • Your URL must be fully accessible and load completely 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
      
    • Your site must offer quality content that fulfills a specific user need.
      
    • All links on site must be fully functional.
      
    • The landing page for your site cannot be "under construction" in order to run on ASL.
      
    • URLs that automatically redirect to another Web site will not be accepted.
      
    • Your listing cannot link to a landing page that generates excessive pop ups (more than one) when a user clicks on your listing or leaves your landing page. Pop ups are highly discouraged as they cause a poor user experience.
      
    • The browsers back button for your site must be enabled.
      
    • URLs must begin with either of these protocols: "http://" or "https://".
      
    • "https://" must be used when the site is asking a user to provide personal information.
      
    • When a user clicks on your listing they must be directed to a landing page that is relevant to the listing and keyword.
      
• Content: Content that promotes illegal activities or that infringes on third party intellectual property and other rights are not acceptable. Sites promoting certain age restricted products and other regulated products are acceptable under certain conditions