News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Hey Yahoo, You’re Optimizing the Wrong Thing.

Re:Hey Yahoo, You’re Optimizing the Wrong Thing by aresant on Tuesday September 18, 2012 @11:31AM (#4538614)
The ad is well placed to ensure most users will see it - check out the average horizontal attention graph below to understand the necessity of that placement in the UI vs further right or lower on the page:

http://www.conversionvoodoo.com/blog/2010/04/test-your-horiz...

That ad unit is available only through Yahoo's CPM program - not self serve and I know for a fact that ad unit sells out months in advance with huge CPM volume commitments.

Modern ad platforms optimize media with backend ROI tracking via pixel-fires / cookies and Yahoo optimizes their inventory to that metric with their advertisers

Pain for users in this units placement? Maybe yes. Could do better? Always.

But pressing first priority problem for a business that can't afford to screw with their profit centers, no.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Hey Yahoo, You’re Optimizing the Wrong Thing by kreilly on Tuesday September 18, 2012 @04:05PM (#4540212)
I'm speculating here, but my guess is that part of the reason it sells out is because the person buying it is measured on CTR. If this placement has a high CTR it is going to lift the overall media campaign and make the buyer look good.
[ Parent | on HN ]