Pay Per Click Help

1. How does Overture work?
2. How are we driving traffic to our advertisers?
3. When will my listings go online?
4. Can I manage my account online?
5. What happens if someone keeps clicking on my listing?
6. How do I maximise traffic to my site?
7. What are the best bidding strategies?
8. How do I manage my bids?
9. How do I decide on the right search listing?
10. How do I write effective Titles and Descriptions?
11. How many terms can I bid on?
12. How do I determine which position I should bid for?
13. Can you provide me with a list of search terms I should bid on?
14. When will my listings go online?
15. How much should I deposit?
16. Do I need to bid on both the plural and singular forms of my keyword?
17. Will I get some kind of traffic report?
18. Can I specify a rank for my search listings and have it there forever?
19. Will I be notified when I lose my rank?
20. What do you do in case of a tie bid?
21. What does Overture's Listing Guidelines mean for my search listings?

1. How does Overture work?
   Overture is a search network. Overture advertisers list their sites in the search results which are distributed across the Web to more than 85% of all active Internet users on sites like Yahoo!, Lycos, Infospace, MSN and many others.
   You choose how much to pay for each potential customer. Overture listings are ranked by bid amount, which is what you pay when a user clicks on your listing.
   Your search listings result in potential customers to your site and a high return on your advertising investment.
   
2. How are we driving traffic to our advertisers?
   Overture partners with meta-search companies and with tens of thousands of Web sites to provide search results on their sites. Some of their most recent and notable agreements include Yahoo!, MSN, Infospace, Excite, AskJeeves, AltaVista and Lycos. When a user does a search on any of these sites, Overture advertisers have the potential to get that traffic! In fact, more than 90 percent of Overture's traffic is generated through its network of tens of thousands of affiliate sites. Their affiliate network makes them the largest Pay-For-Performance™ search network on the Internet, and has extended their reach to 85% of all active Internet users! You might also be interested to know that in the fourth quarter of 2001, Overture made more than 442 million paid introductions between advertisers and users clicking on their listings. And, Overture receives more than 3 billion search queries per month.
   
3. When will my listings go online?
   Generally, search listings go online 3-5 business days after the request was made. If you sign up using the Self Serve sign-up form, they will call you to confirm your contact and credit card information, then review your search listing requests to ensure they are consistent with our relevancy guidelines. Once processed, they will send you an e-mail confirmation to let you know your listings are online.
   If you sign up through the Full Serve or Full Serve Advantage programs, they will call you to confirm your contact information and to get more information about your site. Then they'll send you a proposal containing relevant terms, bidding strategies and titles and descriptions for your site within 2-5 business days. Once you e-mail them your approval of their proposal, and your agreement to their Advertiser Terms and Conditions, they will put your listings online.
   
4. Can I manage my account online?
   To manage your account online, we recommend using their DirecTraffic Center®, our online account management tool for Overture advertisers. This tool gives you the ability to view your account balance, add money to your account and change your bids 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You also can use the DirecTraffic Center® to add, modify and delete your search listings, view reports to see your click activity, change your password, and modify your contact information. It's a great tool that makes managing your account online very easy.
   
5. What happens if someone keeps clicking on my listing?
   Overture uses a number of methods to ensure that all clicks that are reported to our advertisers are genuine. For security reasons, we do not disclose details of this protection methodology nor do we give visual or system clues that click protection is active. Rest assured that "invalid clicking" is one of the most important issues at Overture. We realize that it is mandatory to ensure the integrity of our marketplace.
   
6. How do I maximise traffic to my site?
   1. Bid on Premium Listings: Premium listings are the top three listings in Overture's search results, which provide advertisers with access to 85% of all active Internet users from some of the premier sites on the Web including Yahoo!, MSN, Infospace, Netscape, AltaVista, Lycos/HotBot, and many others. So every time you bid for these positions, you are also featured on the Web's most prominent sites.
   2. Bid on as many search terms as are relevant to your site: We've found that advertisers who bid on a range of relevant terms (especially 20 or more) experience the greatest success in reaching potential customers on Overture.
   3. Include the search term in the title and description to maximize your click-throughs: We did a recent study and found that listings that include the search term in both the title and description have a higher click-through rate (more than 50% higher on average) than those that don't! Pretty amazing! It just goes to show you that including your search term in the title and description can really pay off. And, over 50% more click-throughs is just the average. We've seen click-through rates double, triple and even quadruple when advertisers switched from generic to search-term-specific titles and descriptions.
   4. Bid higher on each search listing and bid often: Why? The higher you bid, the higher your listing will appear in the results. Higher ranking almost guarantees more exposure (and more clicks). In fact, Premium Listings (the top 3 positions) get more than 2 times the number of searches as Classic Listings (positions 4-240). When you sign up, make sure your listings have high placement in the search results. After signing up, log into our DirecTraffic Center® to manage your account and take advantage of our View Bids tool to help in managing your bids.
   5. Bid on Relevant Search Terms: Relevancy is our "golden rule." It's good for our advertisers, because you're guaranteed "targeted traffic," and it's good for our consumers, because they find what they're looking for quickly and easily. Relevance means that the search term, search listing (titles and descriptions) and the content of your site all have to be relevant to one another. We define relevance as a site containing real, apparent content that specifically relates to its search terms. The search terms you request should reflect what consumers will find on your site, and your titles and descriptions should communicate to them why your site is a good match for their search. For example: Just because you have a picture of a panda on your site doesn't make your site relevant to the search term "panda." In order to be relevant, you would need to have information about pandas on your site. You should also know that our editors look only at the content on your own site.
   6. Make your description... descriptive: Write your descriptions so that people know what they would find if they clicked through to your site. For example, if your search term was 'christmas', you might have a description that reads something like, "Visit MyHolidayStore.com for everything you need this Christmas season! You'll find gift ideas, links to the best stores, recipes, crafts and kids' games for the holidays. Visit us today!" Letting searchers know exactly what your site offers, and mentioning your search term increases your potential to get click-throughs.
   7. Submit the URL that links consumers to the correct page: Whenever possible, point consumers to the specific page on your site that has the information they request. This means submitting the best URL for each search term you select. In some cases, our editors may decide that a search term is not relevant to your site if the URL does not point to the appropriate page
   
7. What are the best bidding strategies?
   1. Bid into Premium Listings to maximize your exposure.
      One of the most effective bidding strategies is to bid into Premium Listings, which are the top three Overture results for a particular search term. Premium Listings give you maximum exposure to 85% of all active Internet users by listing you on sites like Yahoo!, MSN, Infospace, Netscape, AltaVista, Lycos/HotBot, and many others. In comparison, you only reach 40% of Internet users in positions 4-240.
   2. Maintain your rank in the listings by checking your bids regularly.
      It's important to check your bids often and be sure you're bidding high enough. The higher you bid, the higher your listing appears in the results, and higher ranking almost always guarantees more exposure and more clicks. Log into DirecTraffic Center® often to manage your account and check your bid amounts to be sure they're high enough. Use the View Bids tool to keep an eye on bid amounts for the search terms you're bidding on.
   3. Set your bid levels based on financial targets.
      Setting financial goals and tracking the results of your online advertising buys will help ensure the success of your business. There are three common metrics that companies use to evaluate the success of their advertising buys: conversion rate , return on ad spend (ROAS) and return on investment (ROI) . Once you have set goals (e.g., ROI = 10%) for these metrics, you should set your Overture bid levels to ensure you achieve the goals you've set for your business.
   
8. How do I manage my bids?
   Put Your Bidding Strategies Into Action by Managing Your Bids.
   1. Modify your bids at any time.
      Did you know that you can modify your search listings' bid amounts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Access your bids at any time in the DirecTraffic Center®, our online account management tool for advertisers.
   2. Use the View Bids tool.
      The View Bids tool lets you type in any search term and see the current listings and bids for the top 40 positions. The top three terms-Premium Listings -are seen by 85% of all active Internet users on the best sites across the Web. This tool helps you understand the competitive landscape and tells you how much you need to bid for a specific position.
   
9. How do I decide on the right search listing?
   Search Terms Are the Key to Your Success With Overture.
   1. Bid on at least 20 search terms.
      It's important to have enough search terms to cover all the various words and combinations of words that apply to your Web site. Think about all the different words a user might try searching on in order to find what you have to offer, and you'll probably end up with a long list. In fact, we've found that advertisers who bid on 20 terms or more experience the greatest success in reaching potential customers.
   2. Select a wide range of search terms.
      Not only do you need at least 20 search terms, but you also need to choose a wide range of relevant terms to be sure all your bases are covered. For example, if you are advertising Italian leather shoes for men, you should of course bid on terms like "Italian leather shoe" and "leather shoe," but also "shoe," "buy shoe," "shoes for men," and so on."
   3. Use the Search Term Suggestion tool.
      The Search Term Suggestion tool provides a list of words related to your site. When you type in a word, you'll see a list of related terms that you may wish to add to your account. It also tells you how many times that search term was searched upon the previous month. If you find search terms that are relevant to your site, you may want to bid on them.
   4. Use the View Bids tool.
      The View Bids tool lets you type in any search term and see the current listings and bids for the top 40 positions. The top three terms-Premium Listings-are seen by 85% of all active Internet users on the best sites across the Web. This tool helps you understand the competitive landscape and tells you how much you need to bid for a specific position.
   
10. How do I write effective Titles and Descriptions?
    1. Include the search term in your title and description.
       A recent study found that listings including the search term in both the title and description have a higher click-through rate (more than 50% higher on average) compared to listings that don't. For example, the search term "finger puppet" brings up this listing:
    • Folkmanis Finger Puppets
      - Free ShippingFinger puppet theatre and finger puppet play sets. Free shipping.
      snaptuit.com
      
      Note: that the search term is used in both the title and description, which clearly indicates to the searcher what is being offered. Remember, though, that this suggestion is not appropriate for some search listings, such as when a term does not make sense when used in the title and description.
    2. Describe what the user will find at your site.
       The listing should make it clear what the user will get when they click through to your site, for example, that they will be able to buy products or read reviews.
    3. Connect the title and description with the search term and the content on your site.
       The title and description should focus on the specific content on your site that relates to the search term. For example, if the search term is "tiara" and your site sells tiaras, the title and description should explain that your site sells tiaras and give any relevant details to help advertise the tiaras.
    4. Write titles and descriptions that are concise and factual.
       Our top advertisers tell us that the most effective listings are the ones with clear, concise and correct information. For best results, keep your listing short and to the point, and avoid hype and exaggeration.
    
11. How many terms can I bid on?
    Literally thousands! Advertisers can bid on up to 25,000 terms, as long as they are relevant to the content on their sites. To generate the greatest amount of traffic, we encourage you to bid on as many search terms as possible, so that you increase the chances of your listing being seen by potential customers. We've found that advertisers with 20 or more search terms are the most pleased with traffic they receive from Overture.
    
12. How do I determine which position I should bid for?
    Many things affect click-through rate, including well-written titles and descriptions, and the relevancy of your listing to the user's search. But one of the most important factors is your listing's position in the search results. We've found that the higher your listing's position in the search results, the more clicks you're likely to receive. In fact, our research shows that listings in the top three positions (called Premium Listings) get double the number of clicks than our Classic Listings (positions 4-240) do combined!
    
13. Can you provide me with a list of search terms I should bid on?
    If you'd like help determining which search terms will drive the greatest amount of traffic to your site, we recommend that you sign up through either the Full Serve or the Full Serve Advantage programs. These signup packages are designed to give you everything you need to begin receiving traffic to your site. Our consultants will work with you to determine the best search terms for your site, and will develop a bidding strategy based on your needs. They will also write the customized titles and descriptions to generate the greatest amount of traffic to your site. Find out more information on our sign-up packages.
    
14. When will my listings go online?
    Generally, search listings go online 3-5 business days after the request.
    If you sign up using our Self Serve sign-up form, we review your search listings requests to ensure they are consistent with our guidelines. Once processed, we will send you an e-mail confirmation to let you know your listings are online!
    If you sign up through the Full Serve or Full Serve Advantage program, you will receive a proposal containing relevant terms, bidding strategies and titles and descriptions for your site within 2-5 business days. Once you e-mail us your approval of our proposal, and your agreement to our Advertiser Terms and Conditions, we will put your listings online!
    
15. How much should I deposit?
    One of the greatest benefits of Overture is that you determine how much you wish to pay for targeted traffic to your site. To open an Overture account, you need to deposit a minimum of $50, which is applied to the subsequent click-throughs to your site or the minimum monthly spend. If you are bidding on popular search terms, you may want to make a larger deposit so that you don't exhaust your funds as quickly. The initial $50 is non-refundable, however any unused amount over $50 which you deposit into your account is fully refundable, should you decide to cancel your account.
    To get the most out of your advertising program on Overture, we also recommend that you also consider signing up for the Non-Stop Traffic plan or Fixed Budget plan to help you manage how much time and money you spend acquiring traffic.
    
16. Do I need to bid on both the plural and singular forms of my keyword?
    Not usually. To address this issue, Overture has developed Match Driver, a tool that takes search term misspellings, singular/plural combinations, and other variations, and maps them to a primary term so that consumers get the best and most comprehensive search results we can offer. For example, let's say that a user searched on the term "cat". Match Driver would match "cat" with all the permutations of that term, such as "cats". Another example of Match Driver is when different variations of a term are searched on. For example, let's say that a user searched on the term "e commerce." Match Driver would match "e commerce" with permutations of that term, such as "e-commerce," "e comerce" and "e-comerce," and they would all be matched back to the primary form, "ecommerce," and display the same set of results. This tool helps consumers find what they're looking for on the Internet, which enhances our search engine and allows us to drive even more traffic to our advertisers' sites. This tool was launched in 2000, and we periodically add more terms so that we can match more consumers to the sites they're looking for on the Internet!
    
17. Will I get some kind of traffic report?
    Overture advertisers receive secure access to the DirecTraffic Center®, our account management tool for Overture advertisers. Our DirecTraffic Center® gives you the ability to view your account balance, add money to your account and change your bids 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You also can use the DirecTraffic Center® to add, modify and delete your search listings, view your reports to see your click activity, change your password and modify your account information. It's a great tool that makes managing your account online very easy.
    
18. Can I specify a rank for my search listings and have it there forever?
    No. Overture search results, by their very nature, are dynamic. Just like what you did when you first listed your site on Overture, other advertisers will sign up with various bid amounts, which may change the rank of other advertisers on the page.
    We don't allow someone to lock into any specific position for any of their listings because it goes against Overture's free and open marketplace. It's important to us that any client of any size has the ability to be in any of the positions they desire for their search listings. As soon as we made that exclusive arrangement for one of our clients, we would have to do it for everyone in order to be fair.
    
19. Will I be notified when I lose my rank?
    We do not yet have an automatic notification system. We are currently exploring this idea, and will let you know if and when it becomes available. News about this, and all other new features, will be published in our monthly newsletter, which is sent to all Overture advertisers.
    
20. What do you do in case of a tie bid?
    When two or more advertisers bid on the same term at the same price, Overture will give the first advertiser who bid on that term and price the higher position in the search listings. For example, if there are 3 advertisers who bid 25 cents on a term, they will be listed in order of "seniority" at the 25 cent price. This feature adds even more value to being the first to bid on terms that currently have no bid, and to be the top bidder.
    
21. What does Overture's Listing Guidelines mean for my search listings?
    Providing high-quality search results is of the utmost importance to Overture. For that reason, we've created the Listing Guidelines, a reference tool that outlines our relevancy standards and the criteria we use to evaluate search listings.