Time to reconsider Yahoo and Bing PPC ?

We're often asked by smaller business's whether or not they should be advertising on the Yahoo and Bing PPC platforms alongside Google. Our standard answer for some time has been that yes, both these networks historically have offered higher conversion data than Google. However, the extra administration time and costs of running ads across three networks make outweigh any conversions you may receive.


This advice is changing though, with the news that the Microsoft (Bing) and Yahoo merger has been given the go ahead.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/microsoft/7266252/Microsoft-and-Yahoo-search-deal-given-green-light.html

With the likelyhood being that conversion stats will remain higher than the Google platform, at least in the short term, the reduced administration cost of running over two rather than three platforms now make it worthwhile for small business to start planning a Bing/Yahoo Paid Search strategy in our opinion.

Searching for a Search Engine

It's Friday and it's getting late, so this one is a little more light-hearted. What do you get if you put the term "search engine" into Google? Well number one is Google of course!

But after that is where it gets interesting...

Number 2 is Dogpile, a favourite of techies but probably unheard of by Joe Public.

Number 3 is AltaVista, YES they are still going!

Then we get Ask Jeeves.

Next up is Yahoo, a biggie, followed by Wikepdia surprise surprise.

Finally at Number 7 comes Bing, Google's biggest competitor. So how has it ranked only at 7 when in market share terms it's number two? Something underhand possibly...

To show it's not all one way though a search on Bing for Search Engine doesn't return Google on the front page!

Bing Search Engine Market Share

We recently focused a couple of articles on not forgetting about the emerging force of Bing -

http://www.clickinsight.co.uk/2009/09/search-engine-marketing-yahoo-bing-paid.html
http://www.clickinsight.co.uk/2009/09/bing-search-engine-local-search-results.html

Judging by today's article in IT Pro they're making faster progress than predicted with an 11% market share. An extract from the article can be found below -

"Microsoft's new search tool Bing has been out for more than three months, and it's gained a healthy 11 per cent market share in that time.

That alone makes it a search engine worth optimising for, but add in the recent deal with Yahoo – which will see Bing used as the search tool across both firms’ web estates – and any webmaster can't ignore Microsoft's latest search attempt."

http://www.itpro.co.uk/

Search Engine Marketing - Yahoo & Bing Paid Search

We're all prone to concentrating our energies on Google as a Search Engine. Naturally so, you might think with it's share of the UK Search Market in excess of 80% right now.

But we shouldn't disregard Yahoo and Bing (formerly known as MSN). Following the recent announcement that Bing would power Yahoo search it's meant overnight that they now hold a decent share of the search market, one that is now far more attractive to Search Marketers and their clients.

More importantly perhaps though, Yahoo and MSN search have always traditionally delivered higher ROI (Return on Investment) on any campaigns as compared to Google. The volumes naturally are lower though.

So if you are looking for Quality, not Quantity don't disregard Yahoo/Bing.