Last week Yahoo introduced their oneSearch mobile search experience for the majority of cell phones which offer Internet access. This week, Yahoo is working to fortify its innovative hold on the mobile search market with a suite of services which enable publishers to increase the discovery, distribution and monetization of their content via oneSearch; Yahoo Mobile Publisher Services.
This is a major reach out from Yahoo to the web publisher community, as more and more users are accessing information and searching via their cell phones, and publishers who take advantage of these services (especially local businesses and businesses which attract mobile users; such as restaurants, movie theatres, stores, boutiques… etc.) will get a leg up on their competition.
The major services Yahoo Mobile is launching are the Yahoo Mobile Ad Network, Yahoo Mobile Content Engine, Yahoo Mobile Site Submit and Yahoo Mobile Media Directory.
Yahoo! Mobile Ad Network
The Yahoo! Mobile Ad Network will allow mobile publishers to have syndicated advertising served on their mobile content and services. Publishers will be able to select the ad formats they want to have run, such as display, sponsored links, video or in-game placements.
By bringing together the global audiences of Yahoo!’s popular mobile services with those of participating publishers, Yahoo! will create a combined pool of valuable inventory. Yahoo! will use its leading global sales force and proven ad-serving technology to sell and serve this valuable inventory to leading advertisers.
Launch partners in the Yahoo! Mobile Ad Network include MobiTV, the global leader in mobile and broadband television and music services, Opera, the leading provider of Web browsers for mobile devices, and go2, the leading location-enabled mobile content network in the U.S. The first advertisements will go live in the second quarter of 2007. Yahoo! plans to expand the number of partners in the Yahoo! Mobile Ad Network over the coming months.
Yahoo! Mobile Content Engine
The Yahoo! Mobile Content Engine will enable publishers to bring their content to Yahoo!’s mobile audience. It will also help enable publishers who do not have a mobile site or only have a limited mobile offering to quickly distribute their content to consumers on their mobile phones.
The Yahoo! Mobile Content Engine will allow publishers to make their content, such as listings or articles, discoverable to consumers by integrating it into Yahoo! oneSearch. For example, a real estate company could publish a list of homes for sale, enabling a consumer to find them and get the detailed listing information they need all through Yahoo! oneSearch.
Yahoo! Mobile Media Directory
The Yahoo! Mobile Media Directory will allow publishers to make their mobile media content accessible directly through Yahoo! oneSearch. Publishers could submit a catalog of their content such as ringtones, games, video and applications.
Yahoo! Mobile Media Directory will combine Yahoo!’s editorial expertise, innovative search technology and the power of ratings and reviews from the Yahoo! community to drive discovery of mobile media. For example, a mobile game publisher could submit a list of their games, enabling a consumer to more easily discover a game, get relevant information like ratings and reviews all through Yahoo! oneSearch, as well as go to the publishers’ mobile site to get the game.
Yahoo! Mobile Site Submit
The Yahoo! Mobile Site Submit will allow publishers to provide information about their mobile site, such as a description and relevant tags, to ensure that their sites are accurately indexed and available to consumers through Yahoo! oneSearch. For example, a hotel could submit their mobile site, including description and tag, enabling weekend travelers to find their location and see if they still have rooms available through Yahoo! oneSearch.
The Yahoo! Mobile Publisher Services will go live today across 19 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, US and Vietnam.
