Hey guys I do not know if the same is happening to you guys or not but I started up few campaigns with yahoo Search Marketing. I went search only and changed my preference for account, campaign and adgroup to search only and even than it is showing up on their content search. I have been tracking them thru my tracking program and this sucks. Have any of you guys had the same problem?
Yahoo Search Marketing is fucked up
- Thread starter Onedollaridea
- Start date
- Status
About half of YSM search clicks actually come from their search partner sites, which are mostly crap. You can use the domain blocking feature in your account settings to block them, but you have to do it manually. Meaning taking all the domains from your logs and transfering them into YSM.
you can blovk them under administration, and there is a place you you can add "blocked domains"
what tracking program are you using? I really need to start doing this. Yahoo traffic has been sketchy lately
what tracking program are you using? I really need to start doing this. Yahoo traffic has been sketchy lately
yep. Ysm is a bitch when they include their shady search partners in their search network. Launched a new campaign yesterday which ate up 106$ in 10 minutes from ONE search partner (thankyousearch.com).. With conversions much less than what direct yahoo searches gave me.
Also, Many times I have content match off... But it reverts back to on the next day. WTF?
Also, Many times I have content match off... But it reverts back to on the next day. WTF?
Word of advice from a long-time YSM advertiser: Don't assume that adding a domain to the blocked domains list will actually block it.
this sucks...anyone else have domains from their shady search partners we should submit to them to block..even tho they may not block them...who the fuck is running shit over there anyways
If you do decent volume with Yahoo, and can prove that a large arbitrager like US.com is sending you shitty traffic, you can complain to Yahoo! and they will block them from bidding on a vertical.
For example: If you are running a green tea offer, spending a decent amount with Yahoo, and US.com (or another large shitty site) is sending you terrible traffic, Yahoo! will stop them from bidding in the Green Tea space.
I am not saying this is the way Yahoo! should handle it, but here is a recourse. I've done it, it works.
First of all, you don't know who to block until you've already been charged for the traffic they sent. So they're spending your money first, and then making you spend your time (read: money) putting up barricades to stop them from screwing you.
Let's use an example that's not-too-loosely based on a real story.
Let's say shittyclicks.com sends you 100 visitors in June and none convert. Their time-on-site is very low and you can just tell that the clicks were... shitty.
So you add shittyclicks.com to your list of blocked domains in YSM and go on your merry way.
At the end of July, you go through your logs and see you're still getting traffic from shittyclicks.com, so you call up YSM. On the phone with YSM, you talk them into opening a case for an investigation into this problem. They tell you that you'll have an answer in 15 business days.
16 business days later you haven't heard anything. You call back and reference the case number, only to be told that it's still under investigation. You complain that it was supposed to have been resolved by now, and in response, the YSM rep offers to "escalate" the case to another investigation team.
6 business days later you call back and they still have nothing to tell you. You inform the rep on the phone that you just want your ads to show on yahoo.com, and that a lot of advertisers feel the same way and are taking their money to Google instead. The rep actually laughs at you and says "that doesn't matter". She promises to forward your concerns to your dedicated account manager and have them email or call you before the end of the day.
5 business days later, without ever hearing from your "dedicated" account manager, you call up and get transferred to them directly. They tell you that the investigation concluded today and that your account has been credited $8. Keep in mind that you're paying $1.50 per click on average, and that you're still getting traffic from shittyclicks.com even as you're on the phone trying to figure out what you'll buy with your new $8 credit.
The conversation that follows goes something like this...
You: The amount of clicks I received, multiplied by my avg CPC, is WAAAAAY above $8.
YSM: Yes, we only billed you $8 though, which we are refunding.
You: Is there a report in my account where I can see that?
YSM: No.
You: Ok so you want me to just trust you on that one. How about the clicks I'm getting right now from shittyclicks.com?
YSM: We won't be billing you for those.
You: Is there a report in my account where I can see that?
YSM: No.
You: So I should just trust you on that one too. How about stopping the traffic? What if I don't want my company's name coming up on a site that may be using blackhat methods to drive traffic? What about the clicks I received from them during the course of your 30-business-day investigation?
YSM: If you like, I can open another case for you and have someone look into that...
Let's use an example that's not-too-loosely based on a real story.
Let's say shittyclicks.com sends you 100 visitors in June and none convert. Their time-on-site is very low and you can just tell that the clicks were... shitty.
So you add shittyclicks.com to your list of blocked domains in YSM and go on your merry way.
At the end of July, you go through your logs and see you're still getting traffic from shittyclicks.com, so you call up YSM. On the phone with YSM, you talk them into opening a case for an investigation into this problem. They tell you that you'll have an answer in 15 business days.
16 business days later you haven't heard anything. You call back and reference the case number, only to be told that it's still under investigation. You complain that it was supposed to have been resolved by now, and in response, the YSM rep offers to "escalate" the case to another investigation team.
6 business days later you call back and they still have nothing to tell you. You inform the rep on the phone that you just want your ads to show on yahoo.com, and that a lot of advertisers feel the same way and are taking their money to Google instead. The rep actually laughs at you and says "that doesn't matter". She promises to forward your concerns to your dedicated account manager and have them email or call you before the end of the day.
5 business days later, without ever hearing from your "dedicated" account manager, you call up and get transferred to them directly. They tell you that the investigation concluded today and that your account has been credited $8. Keep in mind that you're paying $1.50 per click on average, and that you're still getting traffic from shittyclicks.com even as you're on the phone trying to figure out what you'll buy with your new $8 credit.
The conversation that follows goes something like this...
You: The amount of clicks I received, multiplied by my avg CPC, is WAAAAAY above $8.
YSM: Yes, we only billed you $8 though, which we are refunding.
You: Is there a report in my account where I can see that?
YSM: No.
You: Ok so you want me to just trust you on that one. How about the clicks I'm getting right now from shittyclicks.com?
YSM: We won't be billing you for those.
You: Is there a report in my account where I can see that?
YSM: No.
You: So I should just trust you on that one too. How about stopping the traffic? What if I don't want my company's name coming up on a site that may be using blackhat methods to drive traffic? What about the clicks I received from them during the course of your 30-business-day investigation?
YSM: If you like, I can open another case for you and have someone look into that...
I totally agree with you, Yahoo is fucked. I can't tell you how many times (at my in-house position) I have lost my temper on the phone with them. They have serious traffic quality problems and don't do jack to fix them. And the worst part is they know it.
I was just trying to give some ways to try and fix it, if you want to advertise on there.
I was just trying to give some ways to try and fix it, if you want to advertise on there.
- Status