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This would be great if I actually expected them to approve more than a small fraction of terms that almost all other PPC engines would find acceptable.
It's gotten to the point that I don't even try to add very terms to my Overture account, why bother? That time is better spent adding relevant terms to other PPC's that will accept them...
When you think about it, that's a tough job. And their success depends on maximizing paying ads without spamming out their data, so it's a two edged sword.
I've also found that Overture is good about handling a reasonable appeal and reversing an editorial decision that was poorly informed.
If your keywords do get rejected, try resubmitting them. If you are lucky, it will reach a different editor for review and he/she may accept them.
I spend the next day or so emailing back and forth with them trying to get them reapproved and finding out why they were acceptable before and not now. Most of the time I just end up submitting them again until they are approved.
Their only given reason for rejecting terms: "Links".
Fact is, the ONLY outbound link on the pages in question are for secure ordering purposes, 128bit encrypted order form, so clients can rest assured privacy will not be compromised. There are no other outbound links on these pages.
It disgruntled me to the point where I had to reply using their in-house submit form, AND also sent email to their Investor Relations department.
Had to remind them, there is not one page on the Internet that does not contain "links". Also had to remind them that is "Advertisers" who help pay their bills.
Also find it hypocritical that Overture most often requires contact telephone number be posted on some pages, but nowhere in their DirectTraffic Center can a telephone number be found for them. Their customers are the ones who would want to contact them by phone, but theirs is conspicously absent.
This proves to me that Overture does not want my business. And, from what I've read from other Webmasters posting to this forum, they may not want your business either!
Any advice or suggestions?
Ask overture whether they have a policy against such promotions. At Google, you are not supposed to use the term "prescription drugs" in the body of the ad. (But you can use the keyword)
And by the way, there are only a very few US States which have made it illegal to purchase such items over the Internet, and those customers are informed their order can not be fulfilled.
Here is the "standard" reply received from Kimberly Sterling, a Manager at Overture:
"In order to provide the best search results for our users -and drive the most relevant traffic to your Web site - search terms must reflect the actual content of your Web site.
Content in the form of a link, banner or tile that directs users to another Web site is not eligible for search terms."
She doesn't bother to explain how Mexican and other offshore pharmacies have been accepted into their American based search engine, while rejecting an American based online pharmacy with only ONE link to a secure order form.
Personally, I'm steamed, will get over it, and take my business elsewhere.
And there are plenty of elsewheres - starting with Google Adwords.
Let this be a bitter lesson to us all!
Any suggestions?
I too have had a bear of a time with overture to the point of this month I funnelled all the ppc dollars I was going to spend with overture to google (that amounts to several thousand dollars) for this month. Note however it actually seems to have hurt my sales a little but only for the last week in comparison to the earlier weeks of this month. But we are having record sales so I am not too worried about the more cash tight google'ers.
Content in the form of a link, banner or tile that directs users to another Web site is not eligible for search terms.
I missed this point -- on your content pages do you have banner ads or the like? This is a "no go" on most PPC search engines now as well as having popup ads or "reminders" in the content...
There are NO banner ads on the page, nor on the site.
There IS a toll-free 1-800 number.
There IS an INTERNAL email link (email the pharmacist
There ARE internal links to other pages within the site, NONE of which contain banners or links to elsewhere.
As stated in my protest to Overture: the ONLY outbound link is to a SECURE ORDER FORM, hosted by credit card merchant provider, encryted with 128bit encryption so that one's personal and private information can be intercepted.
The outbound text link clearly states, in all caps:
"CLICK HERE TO ORDER V_____"
The link itself goes to: [thenameofthecreditcardprocessor...]
I wonder how insecure is the ordering process at the other pharmacies which Overture allowed into their system, (both off shore and foreign based pharmacies).
Remember, my site is American based, fully compliant with the individual State laws as they apply to residents of those states who wish to purchase LEGAL prescripton drugs over the Internet.
IMHO, Overture is too full of themselves, and my advertising dollars are spent to generate revenue - not to waste time playing their mindless and never-ending "huff and puff" games.
My money is now being spent elsewhere, with far less aggravation and MUCH better ROI.
Meant to say: can NOT be intercepted.
As stated in my protest to Overture: the ONLY outbound link is to a SECURE ORDER FORM, hosted by credit card merchant provider, encrypted with 128bit encryption so that one's personal and private information can NOT be intercepted.
Privacy issues are still the #1 concern of Netizens who, to this very day, hesitate to order, purchase or buy anything over the Internet.
My money is now being spent elsewhere, with...MUCH better ROI.
I also get better ROI from some other channels, at least when I express ROI as a percentage.
However, I've yet to match Overture's total volume elsewhere - and the actual dollars tell an important part of the story. After all, I can't pay bills with a percentage point.
WELL SAID
[bottom line]
Clear examples of other terms which fall under the same criteria and which actually exist are very useful.
In the past, you would not get a response - but I just did this for a set of terms - which got rejected twice - and after review they informed me that they would add those terms to the approved list this week.
They restored some of the faith I was beginning to lose after I was told by another review editor that a complaint on a specific term was not valid because the two-word phrase I used was generic even though it was the name of an online service.
I replied that this would be the same as allowing people to bid on the term "goto" because it was a programmer's term, when it was quite clear that anyone typing the relevant phrase into the search engine was looking for "goto.com" and not "goto 10".
They have now been Accepted - whereas previously rejected terms took the visitor directly to the subject page, NOW they will have to land on the index page - and click again to get to the subject page for the term they seek.
Perhaps Overture wants the clicker to click the BACK button and return to the Overture search results - to click another link.
Think about it - it makes sense for Overture to have its site searchers click 2 or MORE advertiser's links (more revenue for them).
What makes NO sense is their October E-mail Newsletter, which I'm sure EVERY Overture advertiser has received by now. Quoting from their newsletter:
"Generate More Revenue this Holiday Season with LinkShare.
Join LinkShare's affiliate network and earn commissions by linking to popular Web merchants."
By following their Advice - joining LinkShare and "linking to popular Web merchants", You will actually be in VIOLATION of their own stated guidelines for your search terms, as the Linkshare links will take visitors out of your site!
Did anyone else notice their encouragement of this CLEAR VIOLATION of their own Terms Policy guidelines?
Or is this just another Classic case of "the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing"?
By the way, when resubmitting your terms, Make Sure the Term Itself is either in the Title (change the title to include the term), OR in Description (edit the description to include your term) OR PREFERABLY, that your term is in BOTH the Title and the Description!
This is what Overture Reviewers want to see!
My THANKS go to Techrealm, who advised resubmitting the same terms which Overture had prevously rejected.
I have found that Overture editorial rules have gone way too strict. Previously I could easily set-up an account with 100+ keywords but now each title, description and link have to be customised! And still they can get rejected a couple of times! And I don’t dare go near keywords unless they are bang on relevant.
Now spending more time and money on google adwords - that's working well.
It's an ill wind that blows no good ...
