As advertisers seek to squeeze every dollar out of their thinning budgets, search engine marketing is set for an upgrade. Yahoo has announced it is testing a revamp of its traditional search result listings by inserting images and videos into them to create what it calls Rich Ads in Search, the first paid-search platform of its kind.
While no timeline has been put on its roll-out in Asia, this sort of visual search may transform the way brand managers think about search engine marketing.
1 Visual search results pages look much like typical, text-only search pages, except that they include images and video next to their respective links. The rich-ad listings also include logos to enhance brand recognition, and deep links to direct users to relevant information. And because these listings are paid for, these accessories are displayed at the top of each results page.
It looks similar to search results seen through Google, MSN and Yahoo currently on unpaid results: searching for a keyword or phrase prompts a mixture of text links, images and videos, but they are recalled according to natural search rather than paid sponsorship.
2 Currently, Rich Ads in Search is only available to brands invited to participate by Yahoo. These include Esurance, Home Depot, dog-food maker Pedigree, PepsiCo and SoBe in the US.
The company hopes to launch the product in the West over the next few months and Yahoo may change its payment method from charging a monthly fee for the service to an auction-based pricing scheme. A spokesman for Yahoo in Southeast Asia says the company has not revealed when the service will be launched in Asia-Pacific and notes that the service is merely being tested in the West, not fully implemented.
3 Yahoo, a display advertising heavyweight in Asia, has struggled to keep up with Google in the realm of search. Its share of searches across the region is under 20 per cent, compared with Google on 33 per cent, according to comScore. Yet it is keen to seem like it is driving the search agenda as it ponders a potential tie-up with Microsoft.
“The service gives Yahoo the opportunity to gain ground in an arena in which Google is already strong,” says James Hawkins, director for Southeast Asia and Hong Kong at search and affiliate firm DGM. “The rich advertising elements already have a lot more tenancy than straight search, so a move like this is interesting because it further leads the big advertisers into thinking about display but with the accountability and measurability of search.”
4 As the recession continues, the major search engines may be tempted to emulate Yahoo, becoming more innovative with their search offerings to tempt brands to shift more money into search. While Google has remained tight-lipped regarding its plans for search in the future, director of product marketing at Microsoft Advertising James Colborn has openly said in the West that, “over the coming months, we will launch similar technology” because Microsoft believes “image ads are a key and integral part of a customer’s media mix”.
Yet Universal McCann’s regional head of search Anna Chan is sceptical that Rich Ads in Search will revolutionise the way paid search is carried out because of the steeper costs involved, negating the overall attractiveness of typical paid search. “This kind of ad is more suited to branding campaigns. Also it is not cheap as search engines normally charge and it’s paid for via a package fee rather than cost-per-click.”
5 The payoff for brands willing to invest should be higher click-through rates. Yahoo claims that click-through rates for participating brands have risen by as much as 25 per cent since October. Ad agency Razorfish, which tested the service, says its clients have seen more modest results, ranging from a five to 10 per cent increase in click-through rates.
However, Hawkins notes that it should be handled with care. “Consumers are not going to search engines to wade through advertisements by big brands all across the page,” he says. “This may even switch people off going to Yahoo altogether because they don’t want to cut through the videos to get to what they’re looking for.”
What it means for…
Marketers
- Visual search offers a chance to boost click-through rates and make paid-for ads more effective. The question will be balancing the extra cost involved against the extra clicks.
- Visual search also offers a chance to integrate display and search ads more closely.
- However, don’t expect a fast roll-out in Asia - Yahoo’s service is currently being tested only in the US.
Search engines
- Visual search offers a potential additional revenue stream for search engines.
- The fact that Yahoo is driving this is significant in the global search wars. Yahoo needs a way to raise its game against Google. It is also involved in on-off talks with Microsoft over a deal around search.
- Ultimately the development of this sort of service will help the global giants of display and search tighten their grip on the online media marketplace.
Got a view?
E-mail [email protected]
While no timeline has been put on its roll-out in Asia, this sort of visual search may transform the way brand managers think about search engine marketing.
1 Visual search results pages look much like typical, text-only search pages, except that they include images and video next to their respective links. The rich-ad listings also include logos to enhance brand recognition, and deep links to direct users to relevant information. And because these listings are paid for, these accessories are displayed at the top of each results page.
It looks similar to search results seen through Google, MSN and Yahoo currently on unpaid results: searching for a keyword or phrase prompts a mixture of text links, images and videos, but they are recalled according to natural search rather than paid sponsorship.
2 Currently, Rich Ads in Search is only available to brands invited to participate by Yahoo. These include Esurance, Home Depot, dog-food maker Pedigree, PepsiCo and SoBe in the US.
The company hopes to launch the product in the West over the next few months and Yahoo may change its payment method from charging a monthly fee for the service to an auction-based pricing scheme. A spokesman for Yahoo in Southeast Asia says the company has not revealed when the service will be launched in Asia-Pacific and notes that the service is merely being tested in the West, not fully implemented.
3 Yahoo, a display advertising heavyweight in Asia, has struggled to keep up with Google in the realm of search. Its share of searches across the region is under 20 per cent, compared with Google on 33 per cent, according to comScore. Yet it is keen to seem like it is driving the search agenda as it ponders a potential tie-up with Microsoft.
“The service gives Yahoo the opportunity to gain ground in an arena in which Google is already strong,” says James Hawkins, director for Southeast Asia and Hong Kong at search and affiliate firm DGM. “The rich advertising elements already have a lot more tenancy than straight search, so a move like this is interesting because it further leads the big advertisers into thinking about display but with the accountability and measurability of search.”
4 As the recession continues, the major search engines may be tempted to emulate Yahoo, becoming more innovative with their search offerings to tempt brands to shift more money into search. While Google has remained tight-lipped regarding its plans for search in the future, director of product marketing at Microsoft Advertising James Colborn has openly said in the West that, “over the coming months, we will launch similar technology” because Microsoft believes “image ads are a key and integral part of a customer’s media mix”.
Yet Universal McCann’s regional head of search Anna Chan is sceptical that Rich Ads in Search will revolutionise the way paid search is carried out because of the steeper costs involved, negating the overall attractiveness of typical paid search. “This kind of ad is more suited to branding campaigns. Also it is not cheap as search engines normally charge and it’s paid for via a package fee rather than cost-per-click.”
5 The payoff for brands willing to invest should be higher click-through rates. Yahoo claims that click-through rates for participating brands have risen by as much as 25 per cent since October. Ad agency Razorfish, which tested the service, says its clients have seen more modest results, ranging from a five to 10 per cent increase in click-through rates.
However, Hawkins notes that it should be handled with care. “Consumers are not going to search engines to wade through advertisements by big brands all across the page,” he says. “This may even switch people off going to Yahoo altogether because they don’t want to cut through the videos to get to what they’re looking for.”
What it means for…
Marketers
- Visual search offers a chance to boost click-through rates and make paid-for ads more effective. The question will be balancing the extra cost involved against the extra clicks.
- Visual search also offers a chance to integrate display and search ads more closely.
- However, don’t expect a fast roll-out in Asia - Yahoo’s service is currently being tested only in the US.
Search engines
- Visual search offers a potential additional revenue stream for search engines.
- The fact that Yahoo is driving this is significant in the global search wars. Yahoo needs a way to raise its game against Google. It is also involved in on-off talks with Microsoft over a deal around search.
- Ultimately the development of this sort of service will help the global giants of display and search tighten their grip on the online media marketplace.
Got a view?
E-mail [email protected]
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