Autotargeting

Autotargeting is an ad serving technology that is not based on keywords. It analyzes data in the ad and on the landing page and determines whether the ad matches the search query, user interests, or website content. Using autotargeting, you can attract additional targeted traffic by serving ads to an audience not easily reached through keywords.

How it works

Setting up autotargeting in search results

Query categories

In the settings, you can choose a specific query category to enable autotargeting for or leave all categories enabled:

• Targeted queries: The ad perfectly meets the user queries. For example, for the advertiser in-space.ru running the “Space travel” ad, the targeted query would be buy a space tour.
• Narrow queries: The ad is broader than the user query. For example, for the advertiser in-space.ru running the “Space travel” ad, a narrow query would be buy a romantic space tour.

  Previously, these fell under targeted queries. Because of this, existing campaigns with configured targeted queries now include both the narrow and targeted categories. You can change this if necessary.

• Broad queries: Queries showing interest in a product exemplified by the ad. For example, choose a tour.
• Alternative queries: The user is looking for a product that can be replaced by the advertised product. The ad might also meet the query in this case. For example, buy an underwater tour.
• Related queries: Queries for products that might interest the user in relation to the advertised product or service. For example, buy a spacesuit.

If you add Text & Image ads to the group, you can see examples of queries that would trigger autotargeting for each category.

You can select query categories in multiple ad groups using bulk actions, Direct Commander, or the Yandex Direct API. You can only configure narrow queries in Yandex Direct.

Brand mentions in Yandex Search queries

These settings are available for Text & Image ads and Unified performance campaigns. Here you can select the type of queries to serve your ads for. These can be queries mentioning your brand, mentioning a competitor brand, or not mentioning any brands. For example, you can use autotargeting in separate campaigns for brand search queries. Or you can combine categories with mentions of not just your own brand but also a competitor brand.

To serve ads without filtering by brand, enable all options.

Brand queries are queries where the advertiser ranks first in organic search results or is the manufacturer. For example, if you launch ads for your “Good ads” service that helps configure Yandex Direct, then the query Good ads is a brand query for your campaign, while the query Yandex Direct isn't.

Examples of autotargeting queries in different categories will vary depending on the brand mention settings.

You can select the updated query categories and brand mention settings in multiple ad groups using bulk actions. Direct Commander and the Yandex Direct API will introduce the updates later.

Files with query examples

If your group contains ads, you can see examples of queries for your Text & Image ads in the XLSX file found to the right of the category settings. The file is generated from your ad texts, titles, links, brand mention settings, and negative keywords. It contains examples of queries for each category. Refer to these examples to choose the right category and add more negative keywords if necessary.

If necessary, you can tweak your settings and download an updated version of the file. You don't have to save your changes to the group for the file to be updated.

Keep in mind that any narrowing of targetings, including disabling autotargeting categories, decreases your coverage and might lower the effectiveness of your campaign. Disable a category only if it's inefficient. For example, if it exceeds the average price per install or brings non-targeted clicks.

Learn more about query categories.

How to set up autotargeting in a campaign

Autotargeting is available for the following campaign types on search and in ad networks:

Site advertising

When setting up site ads in the Campaign Wizard, autotargeting is enabled by default. You can manage autotargeting categories, but you can't disable impressions for targeted queries.

To select autotargeting categories:

1. Under Define audience, select Manual settings for the Audience parameter.
2. Select the Targeting categories for which you want to display ads.
3. Save your changes.

Ads for mobile apps

When setting up app ads in the Campaign Wizard, autotargeting is enabled by default. You can manage autotargeting categories, but you can't disable impressions for targeted queries.

To select autotargeting categories:

1. Under Define audience, select Advanced audience settings.
2. Select the Targeting categories for which you want to display ads.
3. Save your changes.

Editing campaigns in expert mode

In the expert mode, you can only edit campaigns created before September 1, 2022. You can't create new campaigns there.

We recommend adding autotargeting to all ad groups along with keywords. When you create a new ad group, autotargeting is enabled by default. To enable autotargeting for your existing groups:

1. Select the campaigns that host the desired groups.
2. Select the groups that you want to edit.
3. Click Actions → Edit.
4. Enable the Autotargeting option in each ad group.

Unified performance campaign

Autotargeting is a mandatory condition for placement in search results or in both search results and ad networks. You must select at least one query category for each ad group. When you switch placement from Yandex Advertising Network to Yandex Search, autotargeting is automatically enabled for all query categories in each group. We recommend double-checking the settings when you change the placement location. You can only disable autotargeting for campaigns served in ad networks.

1. To enable autotargeting in search results, select the query categories to apply it to.

   If ads are added to the group, examples of queries that would trigger autotargeting are shown for categories.

2. Under Brand mention in Yandex Search queries, select the type of queries to serve your ads for. These can be queries mentioning your brand, mentioning a competitor brand, or not mentioning any brands. For example, you can use autotargeting in separate campaigns for brand search queries.

   To serve ads without filtering by brand, enable all options.

3. Save your changes.

You can also enable autotargeting on the campaign page or on the Bids and keywords tab.

You can select query categories and brand mention settings in multiple ad groups using bulk actions, Direct Commander, or Yandex Direct API.

Dynamic ads

Autotargeting for dynamic ads is configured at the group level, on the campaign page, or on the Bids and keywords tab. When you create a new ad group, autotargeting is enabled by default. To enable autotargeting for your existing groups:

1. Select the campaigns that host the desired groups.
2. Select the groups that you want to edit.
3. Click Actions → Edit.
4. For each group under Query categories, select the groups for which you want to show ads in search results. You must select at least one category.
5. Save your changes.

Text & Image ads

For campaigns created after September 28, 2023, autotargeting is a mandatory condition for placement in search results or in both search results and ad networks. You must select at least one query category for each ad group. When you switch placement from Yandex Advertising Network to Yandex Search, autotargeting is automatically enabled for all query categories in each group. We recommend double-checking the settings when you change the placement location. You can only disable autotargeting for campaigns served in ad networks.

To enable autotargeting in your active campaigns:

1. Select the campaigns that host the desired groups.
2. Select the groups that you want to edit.
3. Click Actions → Edit.
4. Enable the Autotargeting option in each ad group.
5. To enable autotargeting in search results, select the query categories to apply it to.

   If ads are added to the group, examples of queries that would trigger autotargeting are shown for categories.

6. Under Brand mention in Yandex Search queries, select the type of queries to serve your ads for. These can be queries mentioning your brand, mentioning a competitor brand, or not mentioning any brands. For example, you can use autotargeting in separate campaigns for brand search queries.

   To serve ads without filtering by brand, enable all options.

7. Save your changes.

You can also enable autotargeting on the campaign page or on the Bids and keywords tab.

You can select query categories and brand mention settings in multiple ad groups using bulk actions, Direct Commander, or Yandex Direct API. You can only configure narrow queries in Yandex Direct.

Managing bids in a manual strategy

If you use a manual strategy, then set a bid. If you use separate bid management, set individual bids for autotargeting on search and in ad networks.

For autotargeting in search results, automatic bids are enabled by default. The automatic bid is calculated as the group's weighted average bid per click before any adjustments:

Bid = (Bid1 × Clicks1 + Bid2 × Clicks2 + ... + Bid(n) × Clicks(n)) / (Clicks1 + Clicks2 + ... + Clicks(n)), where

• Bid is the bid for the keyword.
• Clicks is the number of clicks.

Let's say a group has two keywords:

1. Buy a trip to space with a bid of 50 rubles and 5 clicks.

2. Buy a trip to Mars with a bid of 100 rubles and 10 clicks.

The automatic bid for autotargeting in this group will be: (50 × 5 + 100 × 10)/15 = 83.3 rubles.

The automatic bid can't exceed the maximum bid for any keyword in the group. This value is constantly updated, because it's determined not only by the bids themselves, but also by the number of clicks for each keyword in the group.

To set a bid manually:

1. In the campaign list, select the campaigns and switch to the Bids and keywords tab.
2. In the --autotargeting line, click the icon next to the bid value.
3. Switch to “Manual bid”, enter your bid, and click Apply.

You can also change the bid using the Bid Wizard, Direct Commander, or the Yandex Direct API.

As with bids for keywords, all adjustments configured at the campaign or group level also apply to the automatic bids.

We recommend setting the autotargeting bid at about the same level as the keyword bid.

What to do after you enable autotargeting

Learn more about evaluating campaign performance