YSM Changes Terms and Conditions

Terms & Conditions

"OPTIMIZATION. In the U.S. only, for those advertisers not bound by an Insertion Order, we may help you optimize your account(s). Accordingly, you expressly agree that we may also: (i) create ads, (ii) add and/or remove keywords, and/or (iii) optimize your account(s). We will notify you via email of such changes made to your account(s), and can also include a spreadsheet of such changes upon your written request. If you would like any of such changes reversed, please reply to such email within 14 days of the change(s), and we will make commercially reasonable efforts to reverse the change(s) you specifically identify. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you remain responsible for all changes made to your account(s), including all click charges incurred prior to any reversions being made. It is your responsibility to monitor your account(s) and to ensure that your account settings are consistent with your business objectives."

IMHO, this is bad business… however is it does bring up an interesting point that continues to plague me on the sales and service side.  My guess is that YSM is implementing these changes as a solution to the same problem that Microsoft and Ask deal with… Client mindshare.

Google is so large and dominant that they easily take up the majority of an SEM team’s resources.  As such, especially with the smaller engines, they default to the same optimization tactics for all Search Engines.  Experience has shown this is an inefficient way of managing listings.   So how does an SEM team juggle all of their Search Engines?

• Leverage your vendor resources where available.
• Ask, Microsoft, and Yahoo have capable and experienced teams that know their tools, users, and systems inside and out.  Let them do the work for you and trust that they are both trying to make your campaigns more efficient and drive more traffic.

 

• Don’t be afraid to use different keyword lists for different engines.
• What may not work on Google may work well elsewhere.  Stranger things have happened.

 

• Don’t fear Content Ads, but approach with caution.
• I am less familiar with Yahoo and Ask content listings, but know that adSense and Windows Live Content can be very effective when leveraged properly.  adSense utilizes the “casting a wide net” and your listings will appear across a wide a array of sites.  Microsoft is different.  They have a few Premium Partners mostly focused in the FinServ and Travel verticals.

 

• Ask your Service Team for an account review.
• They may have insights and opportunities that you never thought of.

 

• Finally, leverage your plan and goals across all online media.
• Search, Content, and Display ads within a single network will drive performance across the board.

At the end of day, do not let YSM optimize your accounts for you without your knowledge.  Use this as an opportunity to be proactive with your “non-Google” partners and use all of the tools available to you to optimize your account.

SearchWarrior