Yahoo Overture is a pay-per-click advertising system similar to Google AdWords. This guide will give you a basic overview of how to use the Yahoo advertising network to start driving traffic to your website.
The first thing you need to do is determine which search keywords are relevant to your product or service. For example, if you offer landscaping services in Orlando, you may want to advertise to people searching for “Orlando gardener” or “Orlando gardeners.”
After this, you will need to write an ad for your business. In this example, you could write a short ad that says, “Looking for a gardener in Orlando? We have the best rates in town.”
You can then determine the maximum amount you’re willing to pay each time your ad is clicked. If each visitor to your website is worth $3 on average to you, then you don’t want to pay more than this. You can set this amount as high or as low as you like.
When an internet user types your keywords into the Yahoo search engine, your ad will appear for free. You will only have to pay if your ad is actually clicked. The amount you set as your maximum click price will determine where your ad is shown relative to your competitors.
With over 2.3 billion searches on Yahoo every month, this is a great way to get extra traffic. Although Yahoo doesn’t have as much search volume as Google, if you also advertise on Yahoo while your competitors only target Google, this can give you an edge.
Free traffic?
The great thing about Overture and Google AdWords is that some of the traffic you get is completely free. Many people are tired of clicking on ads, but will still be interested in your offer. Sometimes a web user will see your ad and simply type your URL into their browser’s address bar. Since you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, this means some of the traffic you get will be absolutely free!
As with AdWords, you can always cancel your service at any time if your ad campaign isn’t working for you. You can often find $25 or $50 coupons to try Yahoo’s service if you’re willing to look for them.
With the ability to set your prices and budget, and with the possibility of free traffic, all online business owners should give Overture a try to see if it works for them.