This is really really important for two reasons:...the [ppc] ads have looked more or less the same: A headline, a line of ad copy, a link. They haven’t changed because, frankly, the combination works pretty well. But what if search ads could show more?
With Yahoo!’s new Rich Ads in Search, they can. Yahoo! has been testing a new service that lets advertisers add video, images and custom search boxes to their search ads. The results are ads that can combine the relevance of search with the impact of rich media. A small group of advertisers tested it in the fourth quarter of 2008 and saw click-through rates rise by as much as 25 percent. They’ve also seen improved brand exposure and conversion rates.
1. they are 'borrowing' some of my direct ad sales ideas, which levels the playing field - and against a major SE level is far from fair. The value difference between site ads and ppc ads just narrowed, a lot.
2. the ppc ads will be much more attractive, eye-catching, and traffic generating than the associated organic query returns. Not only will that ppc grab the eyeballs but the filtering potential is massive:
I do very very well with Yahoo traffic but if/when this new ppc format goes mainstream I expect a major traffic hit.Include boxes within the listing that lets users search for their desired product or a store location directly without additional navigation. Esurance’s listing lets users enter their ZIP codes from the results page for insurance quotes.
The value exchange ratio between sites and SEs is tipping rapidly.
Extra incentive to continue my non-SE traffic generation efforts.
