Yahoo Tests Major Boost to Contextual Network
Competition is heating up among online ad channels and Yahoo has thrown the latest log on the fire with yesterday’s announced beta test of a newly expanded network of Web pages for contextual ads.
The U.S. test will broaden the reach of Yahoo Search Marketing ads to small and mid-sized Web content sites. Right now, Yahoo’s Content Match service places content-related ads on 160 large Web sites such as CNN and ESPN and splits the pay-per-click fees from those ads with the site operators. By comparison, thousands of Web sites accept ads from Google’s AdSense publisher network on the same revenue-sharing basis. AdSense accounted for about 47% of Google’s second quarter revenue, or $630 million–three-quarters of which was sent on to its publishing partners. Yahoo does not disclose revenue figures for its Web ad network.
Under the new beta test, Yahoo will invite 2,000 sites to join its Yahoo Publisher Network. A self-service Web site will let publisher specify the types of ads they think are most relevant to their readers
