When Yahoo! deems a collection of highly searched queries to be closely related the Yahoo system is told to consider the related keyword at the same word or phrase. These are usually synonyms of words within a phrase but also includes plurals and misspellings.
Yahoo! match driver is designed to match certain keywords; regardless of match type, (standard or advanced).
Here is an example of a list of search queries:
Low Cost Flights
Cheap Flights
Discount Flights
If the three keywords above were matched together in the Yahoo! system, regardless of which keyword phase a user searched, the keyword with the highest bid in your YSM! account would be triggered and display the associated ad.
Why is Match Driver good for Yahoo?
In short – Yahoo makes more money from Match Driver. An advertiser with a relativly tight, well structed account, can in fact be matched to a number of other “relevant” keyword variations. This of course inflates the number of actual searches, keywords in the account would attract.
Why is this Match Driver frustrating for Advertisers?
You have no control over certain keywords. Usually the keywords matched have a high search volume and therefore have a high CPC and are very competitive.
It’s very hard to write relevant ads, improve your CTR% and lower your CPC.
It’s difficult to save money by investing time in campaign optimisation and improving quality score because most longtail variations, plurals and synonyms are considered the same.
Standard or advanced match cannot help because again, the system sees the matched keywords, as a single word or phrase.
How do I make the most of Match Driver?
Use the keyword insertion too when writing ads. {KEYWORD:_______}
Keyword insertion will help to introduce the actual search query into your ad, improve its relevancy AND hopefully improve your CTR%.
Request matched keywords are removed from the match driver system. (Plurals or misspellings cannot be removed) Contact your Yahoo account manager and ask that the offending keywords be re-viewed and removed. This process is carried our periodically, so it’s worth submitting your request to Yahoo!
Other Yahoo Search Marketing Keyword Matching “Features”.
Noise Words – The Yahoo! system removes “noise words” these are words like: to, and, it, a, etc, etc.
eg: Cheap Hotel in Venice would be the same as Cheap Hotel Venice.
Re-ordering – at Yahoo! keyword are re-ordered A – Z. This means a keyword like: cheap flights from Sydney to Melbourne would be seen by YSM! As Cheap Flight Melbourne Sydney. Suddenly your Ad title: Cheap Flights from Melbourne to Sydney makes you look like your have had far too much of a good time at lunch before you posted your new ads.
To summarise, there is not much we, as advertisers, can do. Yahoo! is not going to re-invent their system overnight. Be smart and use this information to update and improve your online campaign and create the best work-around for your situation.
Good post Patrick – and doubt an issue all of us as advertisers have faced.
Another frustration would have to be a search network which is not transparent? Which partners are we appearing on? why can’t I opt out (as you can with Google, opting just to appear in Google Results not partner search sites)….
Rax is totally right, why even consider yahoo when it lacks the basic features of its top dog competition.