The End Of Yahoo Search Marketing? Options

[JESSED]

I was just reading an old post which linked to a page on Yahoo where you could sign up to take their search marketing certification / ambassador exam (similar to Adwords professional adwords exam) and the message that was splattered on top of the page read: "Yahoo will no longer be accepting new Ambassador applications until further notice."

Could this be a signal to the demise of Panama in the future? I could be reading more into this than it warrants, but based on the fact that Microsoft seemed intent on dissolving Panama if the deal were to have gone through, and that Yahoo is now integrating Google adwords ppc ads with their own ads, I was interested on hearing the forum's thoughts on the future of Yahoo Search Marketing / Panama. I'm sure many search marketers will be interested to know if it will even exist within a years time.

[p00ka]

My login & reports, etc. are working fine.

Maybe they're revamping the process, or just a temp glitch?

[Jill]

Perhaps they're just dissolving the Ambassador program but not Yahoo Search Marketing in general? (Just a guess.)

[nethy]

Yahoo may start running Google ads (more then they already have) but I doubt that means the end of YSM completely. At least not yet and not without a successor.

A - They haven't announced any final deal yet (though they did do a test run). So it would seem kind of nuts to shut down their own shop.
B - In order to avoid anti-competitiveness hassles Yahoo'll need to keep it's own advertising program open so that theoretically there'll be an competing platform.

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The above got me thinking, there are two 'assets' really to control. Queries (google/yahoo search) and the advertising platform (adwords/Panama/Adcentre). Google's way ahead in both of them so you tend to think of them as one but there is no real reason for them to be so intertwined these days.

Sure, Google did very well for their engine by taking PPC a step past Overture in terms of relevance and making advertising contribute to rather then erode the usefulness of the search. But that battle has been fought & won and new standards are set for operating these platforms. Google, Yahoo & MS platforms are not different in principal only in application.

True competition might actually allow multiple platforms to develop with their value/success being a function of platform quality rather then Search Market Share. It would also give advertisers easy access to smaller engines, give them an easier income. And promote better ad platforms (I like adwords but it would be nice to have an option).

[JESSED]

@p00ka - I didn't actually mean that what I saw signaled the end of YSM right at this moment, it was more of a "what do you think of its future" question considering the events that have taken place with Yahoo in the past few months.

Perhaps they are just dissolving the ambassador program but it's interesting to speculate. Interesting points nethy and I agree that it would seem kind of nuts to shut down shop completely especially considering that Panama was only rolled out a short time ago.

[Zishan Ahmed]

I think this is going the end of yahoo marketing unless and until they take it over completly, as long as yahoo is there its yahoo marketing is there...

[GriffSarah]

I didn't even know they had an Ambassador program.

In a rush (well for about 5 yrs) to sort out my Google Exam - new things are being added all the time to Google, it is getting trickier by the minute.

Took the Exam the other month, it was multiple choice which I wasn't very good at, as I do like to critque alot of things so only completed 40% of it..and then the timer ran out.

By shutting it down does seem to imply that people shouldn't invest in it....intersting times ahead I think. Maybe completing the Google Exam - will make me a Yahoo Pro too..

[OldWelshGuy]

Microsoft are doing a deal with Yahoo over PPC aren't they? I read that this week they are in talks whereby Y sell their PPC but keep the other advertising separate.

[nethy]

Microsoft are doing a deal with Yahoo over PPC aren't they? I read that this week they are in talks whereby Y sell their PPC but keep the other advertising separate.

Certainly looks like something will happen. Has to really. Search is already known as an asset. To Google/Yahoo/Microsoft a search is pretty much worth a set amount. A search on Google is worth more then a search on yaho/live etc. Advertisers prefer the Adwords platform. Since it is competitive, the bids are higher there.

But the value (of a click/impression) to an advertiser is not really different. The ad platforms are very similar in principal and campaigns should be compatable.

Theoretically, Google can pay Yahoo what were getting on their own and have change (to share of course). The economically sensible thing is to do is a deal.

An alternative is a yahoo/live deal to try & get their searches value up.

What I would really like to see is some sort of sepration between platform and media. Even allow 3rd party platforms. IE you can run yahoo ads via adwords and the reverse.