Yahoo! extends Content Match to small websites

By Steve Malone

Posted on 3 Aug 2005 at 13:27

Internet portal Yahoo! is extending the Yahoo! Publisher Network in the US to small- and medium-sized websites. In order to cope with the expected numbers of small websites and blogs expected to sign up, the company is introducing what it says is an 'easy-to-use self-serve platform' for its Content Match service, which places contextually relevant ads on their sites in exchange for a revenue share.

Yahoo says that the system will be linked into the same advertising network, content and applications used by the existing large accounts. However, the self-serve nature of the service means that keywords and landing pages won't be checked by hand as is currently the case with the larger accounts.

The new move puts the Publisher Network head to head with Google's AdSense in competing with the thousands of websites and blogs throughout the world who support themselves through the revenues share programmes.

Yahoo! says that the Publisher Network self-serve beta also allows access to other Yahoo! services such as 'Add to My Yahoo!' and Y!Q Beta. 'Add to My Yahoo!' allows webmasters and bloggers to distribute their content on Yahoo! via RSS, while Y!Q Beta allows instant links to Yahoo! search results. Other features planned in the near future are 'Save to My Web' and Web search.

The company says that it will also provide feedback channels and opinion surveys into its online Publisher Centre to allow the small and medium publishers to provide comment and suggestions on the operation of the network.

The company plans to run an initial beta period with a limited number of partners. If all goes well, Yahoo! says it will expand its self-serve beta program before the end of the year.

At present the extended service is only being offered in the US. Yahoo says that while there are plans to expand the service internationally, there are no dates announced at present.