Brent Crouch - My Online Journal

I got this email from Overture a few days ago. They are copying the Google Adwords model and basing minimum bids on the ad and landing page quality.

Personally, I have seen very few changes in my account. Out of a few thousand keywords, I have seen less than 10 of my keywords that now require a minimum bid of more than $.10. Unlike they claim in the email, I haven't found one single keyword in my account that requires less than a $.10 bid.

From:Yahoo! Search Marketing <solutions@ysm.yahoo-email.com>

Subject: Pricing Update: Minimum Bids are no Longer Fixed at $.10

Starting today, the minimum bids for some Sponsored Search keywords are no longer fixed at $.10. Minimum bids can now be lower or higher than $.10. Content Match minimum bids currently will remain at $.10. Throughout the next week, you may start noticing new minimum bids on some of your keywords. You will be notified by email and within your account when the status of any of your keywords is affected.

The amount set as your minimum bid on a keyword in Sponsored Search can vary depending on multiple factors, such as:

• The number of bidders and bid amounts in the particular keyword market
• The quality of your keywords, or their relevance to advertisers, as measured by the quality of the ads associated with them

How it Works
• Your keyword is active—or eligible for display—when your current bid is equal to or greater than your minimum bid for that keyword.

• Your keyword becomes inactive if your bid falls below your minimum, and won't be displayed unless your minimum bid is met.

• You'll be notified when your bid is too low, and will have up to several days to adjust your bid.

Managing the Change

These tips can help you manage the change:

• Log in to the account interface to see which keywords are affected. A good place to start is the new "Keywords" link under your Campaigns tab, which will let you sort or search for keywords by their status. • Follow our recommended best practices to manage your keywords and your ad quality, and learn about more minimum bids in our upcoming webinar.

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Tags: overture, overture ppc, PPC, ppc advertising, yahoo ppc