Yahoo Opens oneSearch to Publishers with Additional Services
[UPDATE] Yahoo opens its oneSearch network to mobile publishers, providing additional advertising and indexing of mobile sites.
Yahoo is looking to build services for the mobile Web that match those of its Internet offerings. This week, the company opened oneSearch to mobile publishers, and introduced a multi-tiered offering. The goal is to “enable the growth of the mobile Internet to benefit consumers, publishers and advertisers,” according to a company statement.
The publisher services, announced at CTIA, include Yahoo Mobile Ad Network, Yahoo Mobile Media Directory, and Yahoo Mobile Site Submit. The offering aims to provide services similar to what Yahoo offers on the Internet, however it’s built specifically for the mobile Web.
“We’re doing it a little differently,” Michael Bayle, GM of global mobile monetization at Yahoo, told ClickZ News. “It’s global at the outset, simultaneously deploying in 19 countries. Mobile is truly global. In some of those markets, the mobile ecosystems are more advanced.”
The ad network provides syndicated advertising across mobile sites and services. Launch partners include MobiTV, Opera, and go2. Inventory includes display, sponsored links, video, and in-game placements. A diverse array of advertising options are offered so advertisers can cherry-pick media, matching advertisers to their interests, Bayle said.
The content engine gives publishers the ability to make their content available on the mobile Web. Content includes listings and articles, making it discoverable to consumers through Yahoo oneSearch.
A third offering is the mobile media directory, a discoverability element to oneSearch, which matches content such as ringtones and games to a handset database so searches result in content appropriate for the user.
Mobile Site Submit offers indexing of mobile content. Publishers can submit information about their site, including content descriptions and relevant tags, so their site can be found through oneSearch.
OneSearch and Yahoo’s mobile suite are expected to begin operation in the second quarter.
Advertising will be sold through Yahoo’s sales force, offering an “entire competitive advantage, focused on convergence sales,” said Bayle.
The platform meshes with carrier relationships. Yahoo and Vodafone in the U.K. recently announced a partnership in which Yahoo will sell and serve ads on a Vodafone portal. Bayle said Yahoo is exploring other potential areas of advertising within the relationship, including ad-supported SMS.
[Update] The article originally referenced the Vodafone portal as one created by Yahoo. Vodafone created the portal which Yahoo is responsible for selling and serving advertising.
