LinkExchange Express Offers Low-Cost Yahoo Ad Plan

Advertisers who want the exposure of Yahoo Inc.’s [NASDAQ:YHOO] World Wide Web site, but are put off by perceptions that they can’t afford Yahoo because of the site’s size or status, can now buy as many as 10,000 impressions for as little as $100 through LinkExchange Express, the Yahoo ad buy service. Features like real-time online reporting and account management are also available through the program in several increments — up to $1,000, LinkExchange said.

LinkExchange Express is described as "an online advertising sales service that enables businesses with limited budgets to buy advertising space on some of the most highly trafficked sites on the Web," company officials said.

Advertisers can get their ads on Yahoo within three business days through the LinkExchange Web site. Also, ad campaigns can be tracked any time of day or night, and ads can even be changed midway through a campaign, LinkExchange said.

"With LinkExchange as our agent for programs under $1,000, we are able to provide companies with a low-cost solution for run-of-network advertising on Yahoo," said Anil Singh, Yahoo’s senior vice president of sales. "LinkExchange provides small businesses with a complete turnkey solution for quickly and easily getting an ad campaign up and running on Yahoo."

While the price may be right for Web site advertisers who normally could not afford Yahoo, the LinkExchange Express deal does not offer keyword and category targeting — two prime features that advertisers usually like in buying space from directory and/or search engine sites.

With keyword targeting, advertisers can "buy" space on pages that are accessed after words like "computers" or "travel" are entered. Category targeting lets marketers purchase space within directory categories like "personal finance" or "business," for example. Instead, "prominent banner placement (takes place) on available inventory within Yahoo," officials said. But placing advertising on Yahoo for such low prices should be enough to overcome any objections.

If advertisers want to spend more than a $1,000 to place ads on Yahoo, they’ll need to go through Yahoo’s sales team. Presumably, they can also buy targeted advertising through a Yahoo rep.

LinkExchange also announced that it will sell ads on PC World Technology Network, Gamespot, BabyCenter and theglobe.com via LinkExchange Express. On theglobe.com, for example, 3,500 ad views cost $50, while 70,000 views cost $1,000. Ad rates are similar on the other Web sites.

Besides offering advertising on popular Web sites, LinkExchange operates a "link exchange" program for smaller Web sites. Other company services include search engine registration, online product sales and mailing list programs.

LinkExchange Express is at http://www.le-express.com on the Web. The company’s main site is at http://www. linkexchange.com .

(Contacts: Skye Ketonen, LinkExchange, 415-543-4435 ext. 140; Diane Hunt, Yahoo, 408-731-3441)