IndustryYahoo To Restrict SEM & Agency API Access?

Yahoo To Restrict SEM & Agency API Access?

Is Yahoo going to withdraw API access to SEM firms, agencies and other third-party companies that manage online ad spend? So hears Frank Watson, AKA Search Engine Watch
Forums moderator AussieWebmaster. In Is Yahoo Destined To Be The Next LookSmart?
on his new blog (well worth a regular read), he looks at how new new analytic firms are being allowed in and how there’s no assurance existing contracts will continue.

What’s the big deal? If you currently use a third party to manage your bids, this would make it much harder — perhaps impossible for some firms — to access Yahoo. Yes,
they might be able to go back to screen scraping, but then they could also likely expect legal action over that.

"Individual" access to the API wouldn’t be tampered with, Frank reports. The good news there is that since it’s your account, you might insist that Yahoo allow the company
of your choice to use your individual access to manage your account.

In the end, I’m with Frank in hoping such a move doesn’t happen. Both Yahoo and Google (and MSN to come) need to fully embrace search marketing agencies and others as their
friends, rather than competitors. That’s because in the end, none of them individually is going to be trusted to do purchases on other properties. For a bit more on this, see
my past post Search Publishers Not Friends Of Agencies, SEMs.

Want to comment or discuss? Please visit our forum thread, Yahoo Could Be Dropping API Access to PPC

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