major difference between the two engines is that Yahoo requires a minimum bid of $.10 for each
keyword, whereas Google’s minimum bid on keywords can be as low as $.01.Microsoft adCenter
Microsoft adCenter used to be known as MSN AdCenter. Microsoft has rebranded the advertising
program to draw it closer to the Microsoft family of products. But it’s essentially the same adCenter
that has always ranked among the top PPC programs available.PPC ads through Microsoft adCenter are distributed on the MSN web portal and on the Live Search
network. And setting up your Microsoft adCenter account is a little different from setting up a Google
or Yahoo! account. Microsoft requires you to provide your billing information up front, even before
you create your first ad. There is also a one-time setup fee of $5 that is charged to the credit card you
add for payment. This setup fee is charged immediately to your account.Once you’ve provided billing information, you can begin to set up your first adCenter ad. When
you sign into adCenter, you’re taken to a general page first. On that page are four tabs, which you
can use to manage your adCenter ads. These tabs are Campaign, Accounts & Billing, Research,
and Reports.Campaign
The Campaign tab in adCenter is like the Campaign tab in both the Google and Yahoo! programs.
When you click the Campaign tab, you’re taken to an overview page (shown in Figure 10-9) where
you can create or import PPC campaigns. To create campaigns, click the Create Campaignlink to
start the creation process.You’ll be asked to provide all the same information that you’ve had to enter in both Yahoo! and
Google campaigns, including a name for the campaign and the information necessary to target
your customers. Once you’ve completed this step, you’ll move on to creating your ad and devel-
oping your budget.FIGURE 10-9
The Campaign overview page is where you begin creating your first campaign.163
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