Yahoo! Search Marketing Allows Direct Linking

Through the hard work of Commission Junction,
(who has a lot to gain from this change) YSM
or Yahoo! Search Marketing now allows direct
linking to their advertisers.

Here’s the direct passage or article that
appeared in the CJ Newsletter:

“After more than six months in the making and much
customer feedback and testing, we are pleased to
announce that Yahoo! Search Marketing (YSM) has
recently updated its editorial policies and will
now allow U.S. publishers to direct link to their
advertisers. In the past, YSM’s editorial policy
prevented publishers from linking directly to their
advertiser partners and required that traffic be sent
first to the publisher’s Web site. The new policy
eliminates this restriction and opens a much broader
search marketing opportunity for publishers.

This YSM policy change is the result of a strong
relationship between Commission Junction and YSM.
We have spent more than six months working with YSM
to enact the new editorial policy and are very pleased
that this effort has resulted in changes that are
sure to create opportunities for our publishers and
advertisers.

We find this policy change exciting on several levels.
First, this is a significant shift for YSM and could
be a great opportunity for your search marketing campaigns.
Second, you heard it here first – YSM has asked us to
communicate this change to the affiliate community.
Third, the work we’ve done with YSM on this policy
change is just another example of our commitment to
listening to and speaking up for our publishers.

So, if you’re running search marketing campaigns but
have left YSM out of your marketing mix, now is a
great time to expand your efforts.”
This is an enormous and significant change if
you’re into PPC advertising… imagine linking
directing to Amazon instead of going through a
landing page.

It opens up a whole new marketing strategy for
those who are actively using YSM.  If I recall
correctly, Microsoft’s adCenter already offers
this feature.

Yahoo! is also offers something that’s a little
unique if you’re into affiliate marketing with its
affiliate program. You can promote one link and if
your referral signs up for any other product or service
you earn commissions on these as well…
Yahoo! Consumer Products

Personals – New subscription
Autos – New car quote
Games – Completed purchase
HotJobs – Job application submission
Mail Plus – Mail Plus account purchase
Toolbar – Completed Download

Yahoo! Business Products

Search Marketing – Search Marketing account purchase
Web Hosting – Web Hosting purchase
Ecommerce – Merchant Solution purchase
HotJobs – Employer new job listing submission
Granted, your referral is only good for 45 days
but it is the right step in the right direction,
it increases your chances of earning extra income
if you’re an affiliate marketer.

Still, it is a long way from what some professional
marketers are offering, Marlon Sanders “Cookie
For Life” comes readily to mind. Other marketers
offer similar terms where once you make a
referrer, you continue to earn for the lifetime
of that referral.