Yandex.Direct will soon begin automatically displaying ads for queries containing synonyms for their keywords. In this way, a holiday package to Mumbai could be served for the query “holiday package Bombay” or an ad for “plus sized clothes” could appear when a user searches for “husky clothing.”
When and why
Use of this algorithm will begin gradually, starting next week. On one hand, it will ensure that Yandex users get more relevant answers in their search results while on the other hand preventing users from missing out on relevant results for keywords with the same meaning. Less experienced advertisers often miss the chance to gain additional impressions by adding alternate, less common keyword synonyms.
For several years now, Yandex has taken into account common misspellings and queries entered using the wrong keyboard layout in order to show users relevant ads. Now, Yandex.Direct can do the same with synonyms.
Take a look at these examples of synonym pairs:
women’s shoes — ladies’ footwear
garden hose — watering hose
Bombay — Mumbai
smoking cessation support — help quitting smoking
trash bags — bin liners
Only well-known synonyms are used, so there’s no need to worry that there will be some sort of confusion, for example, a dining room table with a table in a restaurant. Yandex.Direct considers nuances of meaning, along with analyses of related phrases, and the behavior of users who click on similar ads.
Bids, statistics, and ad management
For auctions Yandex.Direct uses your original keyword’s bid (e.g. “women’s shoes”) whose synonym (e.g. “ladies’ footwear”) matches the ad. Display statistics for synonyms appear as part of the original keyword from your campaign.
CTR forecasts by keyword will not include possible impressions for synonyms, so the forecast CTR for “women’s shoes” will not tell you how many impressions you’ll get for “ladies’ footwear.”
To find out more about synonyms, you can use the new Yandex.Direct search query report to be released soon. This report can help you find synonymous keywords that may be missing from your list.
You then have the option of adding them to your list or setting separate bids for them. This report can also help you choose negative keywords to avoid serving ads for specific synonyms.
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in contact using the feedback form.