This problem started with what appeared to be a very good service. I got hits on a website that numbered over 1200 in about 5 days. I thought I had found a good way to promote my cause at an affordable price that Yahoo and I had agreed on.
Then the problems started. I am a missionary and I am raising support for my upcoming departure to Central Asia. I decided that to be able to talk to as many people as possible, I would use Yahoo Search Marketing. I chose the do it yourself version because I am well versed in retail marketing and needed no help with advertising or selection of key words. They also offered to set up my ad campaign for $199.00. It was a service I did not want or need.
For about 5 days my key words worked beautifully. I only selected 46 words that were very specific to my "business" and was careful to select only those directly related to my efforts. The advertising on Yahoo's site states that you may select up to 50,000 words for your search marketing key words! Wow!"The Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary contains full entries for 171,476 words in current use, and 47,156 obsolete words. To this may be added around 9,500 derivative words included as subentries." (from AskOxford.com) So, by doing some simple math I found that at best there are probably somewhere near 228,000 words that could be selected from. That means that I chose a very select few that were directly related to my site!
Suddenly, Yahoo rejected my key words with the exception of 12 that had had very few hits. I smelled a rat! I called them and they said my key words needed to be reflected in my ad by using their automatic insertion tool and resubmitting the key words I wanted to use. I did exactly what they said and, again, they were rejected! So, I called again. This time the rep said that my key words needed to be directly related to my landing page. "They need to be the words found on your home page."
I began to ponder the statement. I found it incongruent with their advertising. Very few (Actually no) businesses would be able to place 50,000 words on their home page and derive business from it. Still smelling a rat, I called again. I asked the rep to do something with me. Key in the search word "Dog" selected completely at random. What popped up? The swimwearoutlet.com. (6 out of 10 times I ran the term) I told him there were going to be some real cute dogs wearing bikinis at the beach this year! I can't wait!
Let me show you the key words that I chose! They are prayer, God, Christ, Heaven, Bible and other similar words. As anyone can see, these words are directly related to my site since I am a missionary talking to people about the things of God!
I believe that they are speaking loud and clear with their actions. They are trying to force me to pay the $199.00 for a service I don't need if I want to use the key words that they approved. They are speaking loud and clear by their actions. They are trying to step me up to the $199.00 package. I don't need it! My web site hits dropped from an average of 276 per day to about 5 as a result of their "Editorial decision."
If you have had similar experience you may contact the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc. Gov and file a complaint! I have already done so and if enough people do this the Federal Trade Commission will open a criminal investigation into what, in my opinion, is a classic "bait and switch."
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