Yandex.Direct: A Large Collection of Recommendations / ITech content

Contents:

• Headings and texts: general recommendations
• How many creatives should I create in YAN?
• Automatic "Campaign Wizard": when should I use it?
• Display by proximity to the query: why cross-minus is no longer needed
• Display by semantic match and synonyms: how it works and what are the dangers
• Where are Bayan's banners now?
• Why is it worth setting up multiple goals in "pay for conversions"?
• Who is the "target share of advertising spend" strategy suitable for?
• Some more recommendations from experts

Yandex.Direct is a constantly evolving advertising platform. In 2021, it introduced a new strategy, an automated "campaign wizard," and the ability to display ads based on the proximity of keywords to user queries. We analyzed the changes that have occurred over the past two years and turned to experts to find out how these innovations have affected the process of setting up advertising campaigns.

• Headlines and texts: general recommendations
• How many creatives for each ad should be created in YAN
• When should you use the "Campaign Wizard"
• Why cross-minus is no longer needed and how does displaying ads based on proximity to a query work
• What is displaying by synonyms, why is it harmful and what to do
• Where are Bayan's banners now?
• Why is it worth using multiple goals in the "pay for conversions" strategy?
• The new "target share of advertising spend" strategy: who is it suitable for?
• Some more recommendations from the experts surveyed

The text will be useful to marketers who already use Yandex.Direct. If you're just getting started with this tool, we have a detailed step-by-step guide for beginners.

Headlines and Texts: General Recommendations

Recommendations for increasing click-through rates in Yandex.Direct have remained unchanged for over ten years. We recommend creating unique ads for each keyword. This makes the ad more relevant to user queries and attracts more attention, as keywords are highlighted in bold in the text and headline. This approach not only improves ad visibility but also increases the likelihood of a click, which in turn contributes to increased conversion.

In June 2021, the headline size was increased to 56 characters. Manvel Manvelyan, CEO of the BusinessProfi internet marketing agency, notes that this change will allow for the effective use of long keywords. It is also important to fill out the additional headline, as up to 65 characters are displayed on mobile devices. This innovation helps improve visibility and increase click-through rates of content in search engines, which is an important aspect of SEO optimization.

Experts advise taking up as much available space as possible to improve your ad's visibility. A Backlinko study shows that 50% of users click on the first link in search results within 9 seconds, while only 0.44% of users go to the second page of results. Therefore, the more space your ad takes up, the higher the likelihood that users will miss out on competitors' offers. We recommend filling out all fields of business cards, quick links, explanations, and other extensions to increase your chances of attracting your audience's attention and increasing the click-through rate of your offer.

How many creatives should I create in YAN?

The services and platforms for advertising on the Yandex Advertising Network (YAN) are becoming increasingly diverse. It is important to create more creative advertising materials so that the system can select the optimal banner for each specific web resource. This will increase the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and achieve better results in attracting the target audience. A variety of creatives will help adapt advertising to different formats and user preferences, which in turn will increase conversions and improve overall brand visibility.

Oleg Grabchak, Director of the SEO-Gravity marketing agency, claims that to achieve maximum effectiveness of advertising campaigns, it is necessary to use 10 to 15 creatives for each ad. This will allow the system to more accurately select the most appropriate creatives for each individual service, which, in turn, will increase conversion and improve the results of advertising activities.

To automatically create consistent ads for each product, we recommend using a product feed. This feature, which allows for the generation of dynamic ads based on a feed, was introduced in Yandex.Direct back in 2016. Using a product feed significantly simplifies the product advertising process, allowing you to effectively manage ads and optimize advertising campaigns. With this tool, you can quickly adapt your advertising to changing market conditions and customer needs.

In 2018, smart banners were introduced, featuring dynamic content. These banners adapt based on the website pages visited by the user. They are placed in the Yandex Advertising Network (YAN) with pay-per-click pricing, making them an effective tool for advertisers. Smart banners can be created based on a product feed, significantly simplifying the ad creation process and increasing their relevance to the target audience.

Automatic Campaign Wizard: When to Use It

At the end of April 2021, the Campaign Wizard feature was introduced in the Yandex.Direct system. This innovative system allows you to automatically create ads. To get started, simply enter a website link, after which the Campaign Wizard automatically fills in all the necessary parameters: the ad title and text, as well as sets up targeting and determines display regions. This feature significantly simplifies the process of launching advertising campaigns and saves users time.

This tool makes creating ads easier. It's especially useful for beginners working with Yandex.Direct for the first time. However, the experts surveyed do not use this tool, putting forward several arguments against its use.

• You cannot choose placements - ads will be shown in both search and YAN, although campaigns for them are usually separated.
• You cannot set up time targeting - ads will be shown 24/7, and if you cannot accept applications at night, you will lose leads.
• Negative keywords cannot be added as a list; they can only be added individually to each query using the "-" operator, which complicates the setup process.
• The "Campaign Wizard" automatically submits ads for moderation and enables impressions - you must manually disable the campaign to avoid wasting your budget.

The "Campaign Wizard" generates one general ad for all keywords, while the automatic strategy starts from scratch. It is important to note that using the conversion tool may result in higher costs than carefully setting up advertising campaigns manually. High-quality customization allows for more effective budget management and increased conversion, making a manual approach preferable for achieving the best results.

Display by proximity to a query: why cross-minus is no longer necessary

In March 2021, changes were made to Yandex.Direct, affecting the process of selecting ads for display. The system now uses updated algorithms, allowing for more efficient selection of ads from advertising campaigns. These changes are aimed at improving display quality and increasing ad relevance for users. New approaches to ad selection help advertisers achieve better results and optimize their advertising strategies.

Previously, the Yandex.Direct system functioned as follows: when processing a user's query, if two or more keywords were found in the ads of one account, the phrase with the highest bid received priority. This ensured more competitive ad placement, but could lead to situations where more relevant keywords were neglected. System optimization has improved the quality of impressions and increased the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

The system now displays ads that best match user queries, allowing keywords with the closest meaning to win. This allows advertisers to reduce costs, as Yandex Direct displays more relevant ads rather than those that incur higher costs. This approach ensures more effective interaction between advertisers and potential customers, increasing the likelihood of conversion and improving advertising campaign results.

According to the Yandex blog, advertisers previously faced the need to cross-negative keywords in their keyword lists to solve specific problems. This meant they had to add negative keywords to their ads to limit impressions for competitive keywords in the same advertising campaign. Now, a new feature is available that allows you to quickly and efficiently deliver the desired ad at the selected bid, eliminating the time-consuming process of adding negative keywords. This simplifies ad campaign management and improves their effectiveness.

Some experts, such as those at PPC.World, argue that cross-negative keywords can positively impact the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. This allows you to optimize ad spend and improve targeting, which can ultimately lead to higher conversions. Correct use of cross-minus indicators helps avoid displaying ads for irrelevant queries and focus on more relevant keywords.

At the advertising campaign level, advertisers have the option to independently choose the ad display method—based on metrics or on match accuracy. Manvel Manvelyan, CEO of the internet marketing agency BusinessProfi, recommends using the match accuracy method, especially if you have developed a detailed semantic core and have multiple mid- and low-frequency queries that lead to different landing pages. This approach allows for more effective targeting of the target audience and increases conversion by ensuring ad relevance for users.

Displaying by Semantic Match and Synonyms: How It Works and What Are the Dangers

Since 2016, Yandex.Direct has been displaying ads not only for specified keywords, but also for their synonyms. This improves ad reach, especially in cases where the semantic core is not fully developed or the niche contains many low-frequency queries. This approach reduces the time spent on searching and optimizing keywords, making advertising campaigns more effective and targeted. Proper use of synonyms can significantly increase ad visibility and attract additional traffic to your resource.

In 2020, there were changes in the ad selection algorithm, which led to an increase in cases of non-targeted impressions. For example, ads with the keyword "getting rid of bedbugs in an apartment" may appear for the search query "clapping in an apartment." Similarly, ads with the phrase "what to give as a gift" sometimes appear for the search query "fry zucchini." It is impossible to disable synonym display, as it is part of the system's built-in logic that responds to search queries. This change highlights the importance of precision in keyword selection to improve the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and minimize irrelevant impressions.

Alena Rybina, a private contextual specialist and author of the Seofy blog, notes the problem of irrelevant impressions in contextual advertising. For example, for the search query "Gazelle cargo transportation," the algorithm may display an ad for the phrase "Gazelle transportation," which will lead to an ad being displayed for the query "Gazelles for passenger transportation." Although the algorithm is working correctly, the keyword and the search query do not match in meaning. This can lead to irrelevant impressions, which negatively impact CTR, as well as irrelevant clicks, which increases costs and reduces conversions. It's important to optimize your advertising campaigns to avoid such situations and improve their effectiveness.

To increase reach and improve CTR when displaying synonyms, you need to carefully monitor the phrases for which your ads are displayed. Alexander Miroshin, a PPC expert at the MOAB marketing agency, recommends two methods for eliminating irrelevant synonyms. The first method involves regularly analyzing keywords and their derivatives to identify those that don't match your target audience. The second method involves using negative keywords, which allows you to limit ad display for ineffective queries. Using these approaches, you can optimize your advertising campaigns and achieve better results.

• constant negative keywords. If the topic is unambiguous and there are few synonyms, this method works. But if the topic allows for ambiguous interpretations, the work on minus will require a lot of time, and ultimately you will encounter limits on stop words;
• working with display conditions. In topics without subtext, the queries are simple in structure, you can use the exact match operator "!". However, on complex topics, it significantly reduces reach, so Alexander Miroshin recommends using the "+" operator here (confirmed by tests).

Where are the "Bayan" banners now?

In February 2018, the "Yandex.Bayan" service was closed, after which the banners were moved to "Direct" for beta testing. In March 2018, the updated media-contextual banner became available to all advertisers. This event marked an important stage in the development of Yandex advertising tools, allowing users to take advantage of new opportunities to promote their products and services. The updated banner format offers improved features and targeting capabilities, making it more effective for advertisers.

You can now work with the "Banner on Search" format directly in Yandex.Direct. This format is displayed exclusively on desktop devices. Using banners in search allows you to effectively attract the attention of users and increase the visibility of your offer in search results.

Setting up ads is similar to standard search engine ads. You can add keywords and negative keywords, define display regions, and adjust bids for different audience segments or time periods. This allows you to optimize your campaign and improve its effectiveness by attracting your target audience.

Banner ads on search pages should be distinguished from graphic creatives used in contextual advertising and displayed in the Yandex Advertising Network (YAN). These two tools have different functions and purposes. Understanding the differences between them will help you effectively leverage advertising opportunities and achieve better promotion results.

Why Set Multiple Goals in "Purchase for Conversions"

Using the "Purchase for Conversions" strategy in Yandex.Direct can significantly improve the effectiveness of your advertising campaign. Setting multiple goals will allow the system to learn faster, as it will analyze data on various conversion actions. This will speed up the collection of statistics and advertising optimization. In addition, using multiple goals eliminates the need to duplicate advertising campaigns with different directions, which simplifies management and increases overall productivity.

Valentin Storchak, Head of the Data-Lab.pro team, emphasizes that achieving common goals is possible in two main ways. The first method involves clearly defining and agreeing on goals among team members, which contributes to increased teamwork efficiency. The second method is to create an environment conducive to open communication and collaboration, which allows the team to adapt to changes and achieve goals more successfully. Aligning goals and maintaining team spirit are key factors for the successful implementation of data projects.

• Create a composite goal in Yandex.Metrica and combine all the necessary goals in one step. They must be combined with the "or" operator. The composite goal will be achieved if any of the goals of interest is achieved.
• Combine goals using Google Tag Manager. To do this, create an additional simple goal in Yandex.Metrica, the achievement of which is redundantly called in Google Tag Manager when any of the triggers for the composite goals of interest are triggered. Optimization for this "utility" goal is selected in the pay-per-conversion strategy settings.

Yuri Motovilin, Head of Performance Marketing at Reg.ru, emphasizes the importance of the correct approach to launching advertising campaigns. Specifying only the budget amount will not lead to the expected result. Initially, it is necessary to launch a standard advertising campaign with pay-per-click. This will allow the algorithms to determine the optimal parameters for your strategy. After that, you can move on to an automated strategy after it has learned. If the CPA is set lower than recommended, or if the Metrica system doesn't receive enough data, a PPC campaign may fail to launch or may perform poorly. Proper setup and consistency are key to successful performance marketing.

Who is the "target share of advertising spend" strategy suitable for?

Yandex.Direct has long offered automated strategies that effectively optimize advertising to drive clicks or impressions. In July 2021, a new strategy was introduced: target share of advertising spend. This updated version of the "profitability optimization" strategy offers simpler and clearer settings, allowing advertisers to more easily manage their spending and achieve their goals. This strategy allows for more precise budget control and increases the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, which in turn contributes to improved business results.

The strategy works as follows: the advertiser defines the goal to be achieved and sets the percentage of the budget they are willing to allocate to promotion. The system adjusts ad delivery so as not to exceed the set spending limit. As a result, advertisers pay only for targeted actions, making investments more efficient and optimizing advertising costs.

Targeted ad spend is ideal for online stores, marketplaces, and companies with a wide range of products or services at various price points. In such cases, there is no need to manually calculate the bid for each product. Instead, automated strategies can be effectively used to optimize advertising costs and improve the overall effectiveness of advertising campaigns. This saves time and resources, as well as achieves better customer acquisition results.

With a 10% bid, Yandex.Direct will spend no more than 200 rubles to sell a product priced at 2,000 rubles, and no more than 1,000 rubles for a product priced at 10,000 rubles. Manvel Manvelyan, CEO of the internet marketing agency BusinessProfi, emphasizes that this strategy effectively reduces the cost per lead after two weeks of training. Optimal results are achieved with 40-50 or more conversions per month. To successfully implement this strategy, it is important to control the minimum balance, which should be at least 5,000 rubles.

A few more recommendations from experts

Split testing is an effective tool for optimizing marketing campaigns with minimal costs. It allows you to identify the most successful creatives and, as a result, increase conversion. Internet marketer Vladislav Suvernev emphasizes that the testing process has now become simpler and does not require complex settings, such as a checkerboard field in the display schedule. The Yandex platform provides useful recommendations for deciding whether to switch to new settings and informs you about insufficient data for analysis. Using split testing helps increase advertising effectiveness and improve online sales results.

Setting goals is an important step in launching an advertising campaign. If you use standard engagement parameters, the system will not be able to determine your specific intent. This will negatively impact the optimization results. Vladislav Suvernev points out that many advertisers don't realize the importance of the goals section, leaving it blank or automatically populating it with "engaged sessions." Properly setting goals allows you to achieve more effective results and maximize your advertising ROI. Targeting is an essential tool for optimizing advertising campaigns, especially when semantics are poorly defined or when promoting a new product. Yuri Motovilin, Head of Performance Marketing at Reg.ru, shares information about two types of targeting. One is short-term interest targeting, which targets users who have shown current or recent interest in certain topics. This approach allows you to effectively attract the attention of potential customers and increase ad conversions. Autotargeting initially focused on all phrases and their synonyms found on the landing page. Over time, its functionality has significantly improved. Users can now customize autotargeting parameters, allowing them to more precisely define semantics and engage with both their target audience and a broader audience, including potential customers.

Yandex advertising services offer a variety of opportunities for online business promotion. If you want to gain a deeper understanding of these tools, we recommend reading additional materials about Yandex.Direct, Yandex.Audience, and other platforms. Reading articles and guides on these topics will help you effectively utilize advertising opportunities and increase your business's visibility in search results. Don't miss your chance to learn about new tools and strategies that will help you achieve your advertising goals.

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