The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article: December 2005, Volume 4, Issue 12
Ask Jeeves PPC Program: Facts & Findings
by John Krochune, Algorithmic Search Manager, iProspect
Ask Jeeves rolled out their own pay-for-placement program on August 1, 2005. Since then, a number of our clients have been running PPC campaigns directly on Ask.com. Let’s look at the Ask Jeeves Sponsored Listings program and some of the findings we have gathered since its inception.
A Little History
The Ask Jeeves search engine has been around since 1996 and currently occupies a position somewhere between the top tier engines (Google, Yahoo! and MSN) and second tier engines, like MIVA and Dogpile, in terms of market share. In 2002 Google and Ask Jeeves partnered, with Google serving its sponsored listings on Ask.com search engine result pages.
Google’s sponsored ads still appear on Ask.com, but with the rollout of Ask Jeeves’ own ad bid auction program, clients now have the opportunity to appear within the first three spots in the sponsored ad space, on any keyword above the listings provided by Google, at reasonable prices. Previously, only clients with a minimum of $5,000 — $10,000 spending per month could appear on Ask Jeeves Premiere Listings Program at a fixed cost per click rate.
Features & Benefits
Ask Jeeves’ program offers the same basic benefits and functionality as the other major programs. While running Ask Jeeves Sponsored Listings campaigns for our clients, we have noticed that the account management module looks a lot like that offered by LookSmart. And since LookSmart’s interface was originally built for directory listings, rather than pay-for-placement ads, the reporting functionality appears a little different from other programs. All keywords in a campaign are identified as “listings.” Additionally, finding click and impression data on the keyword level is not as easy as it is with the interfaces of other paid programs. You need to click a little further into the interface to find what you are looking for.
Assessment
Based on the data we have gathered on the program thus far, the average cost per click for the same keyword in the top three positions in Ask Jeeves is cheaper than Google. However, on average Ask Jeeves has a higher minimum bid than Google. Clients are limited to the top three ad positions in verticals, such as travel, and the top position for other verticals, such as finance. Some clients may find it more efficient to advertise with Google in lower ad positions for some keywords, depending on their campaign goals. Nevertheless, most clients that participate in Ask.com’s program could get more clicks for their dollar by running a separate campaign there.
Since Ask Jeeves has a smaller audience than the top tier engines, often our strategy for clients is to follow the 80/20 rule, with most of their PPC spend divided across Google and Yahoo!. But to help clients reach larger volumes of clicks, we can implement Ask Jeeves Sponsored Listings campaigns. We also take into consideration that the user base of Ask Jeeves skews female, so we advise clients that are specifically targeting women to consider launching an Ask Jeeves Sponsored listings campaign.
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