Yahoo, after years of battling Internet rival Google for online advertising, said Wednesday it would launch a limited test of Google’s AdSense for Search service.

The announcement drew a sharp response from Microsoft, which warned that a Yahoo-Google partnership would cover some 90 percent of online advertising.

The test is expected to last up to two weeks and will be limited to no more than three percent of Yahoo search queries, Yahoo said in a statement. The program will deliver Google ads alongside Yahoo’s own search results.

The Sunnyvale, California-based company said the test will apply only to traffic from yahoo.com in the US and will not include Yahoo’s network of affiliate or premium publisher partners.

Yahoo said the testing does not necessarily mean it will “join the AdSense for Search program or that any further commercial relationship with Google will result.”

Yahoo is also fighting off a takeover bid from software giant Microsoft, arguing the offer undervalues the Internet firm.

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, said in a statement: “Any definitive agreement between Yahoo and Google would consolidate over 90 percent of the search advertising market in Google’s hands.”

He added: “This would make the market far less competitive, in sharp contrast to our own proposal to acquire Yahoo. We will assess closely all of our options.”

Smith said Microsoft remains committed to a 44.6 billion dollar takeover offer for Yahoo.

“Our proposal remains the only alternative put forward that offers Yahoo shareholders full and fair value for their shares, gives every shareholder a vote on the future of the company, and enhances choice for content creators, advertisers, and consumers,” he said.
News: AFP

AdSense do’s and dont’s. Mostly dont’s.

1) Comply Google AdSense program policy !!!
2) Don’t change AdSense code given. AdSense offers variety of choices when creating an ad. You can use any color you want (not only those in palette, but you can input any HEX code). If you want even a slightest change (e.g. just border color, channel name), it won’t be hard for you to login to your AdSense account and apply the changes.
3) NEVER, I repeat NEVER click on your own ads. This is well known. Google will ban you for this by certain. However, if you accidentally click on your ad - no need to worry - just make sure it doesn’t happen again! If it does, you should contact googleThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
4) Never ask friends and cousins to click on your ads. This is similar to above. Program Policy clearly states that visitor must click on an ad from genuine interest in it.
5) Use content-based pages only. It is against the rules to put an AdSense on a page that does not have content on it.

(more…)

Yahoo Buys BlueLithium Ad Network

Yahoo agreed today to buy online ad network BlueLithium for $300 million in cash, in a move to fortify the company’s position versus Google and Microsoft in the competitive market for placing ads on the Internet. BlueLithium, of San Jose, Calif., snaps up banner and other graphical ads from Web publishers and resells the real estate slots to online advertisers. ComScore Media Metrix rates BlueLithium as the fifth largest ad network in the United States, with 145 million unique visitors each month.

The BlueLithium deal comes after several organizational changes at Yahoo, taking place during a few weak financial quarters. In July, Yahoo said its second-quarter profit dropped 2.3 percent to $160.6 million. The purchase of BlueLithium should boost Yahoo’s plan to branch out beyond its own well-known brand at a time when advertisers are looking beyond the large portals.

Read Full Story