adCenter is a simple bidding system, the higher you bid the higher your ad is placed (unlike the AdWords system where clickthrough rate partly determines position). Ads are set up in the usual way, the title can be up to 25 characters and the description a maximum of 70 characters which is rather short. There is the option to have a display as well as a destination URL which is useful. You can also direct visitors to different landing pages depending which keyword they used to search. All ads are subject to review before being going live. It was very quick since it's an automated system with ads that are declined then being subject to manual review.

Payment is in arrears (like Adwords) and the set up fee is £5 per campaign. Campaigns correlate with clients so if you are an agency running ads for a number of clients, the set up fee is £5 per client. So that shouldn't break the bank.

There are two interesting tools in the Manage Keywords section (there is also the usual find similar keywords etc). The first is 'Search the destination URL for keywords'. adCenter goes onto your site and comes back with all the keywords it thinks are RELEVANT, and I was told by adCenter support, that any word that comes back from this search will be approved if you want to use it as a keyword in your adCenter account, subject of course to trademark infringements etc. Keywords are listed by popularity of search on MSN last month (with accurate figures I was told!). The top keyword that was returned for the site I tried this out on was 'BBC news'. Considering it's a site about the Isle of Wight I was surprised but it seems that because the site had a link through to the BBC news site, it was considered relevant to that search phrase.

Another useful tool is 'Search this website for keywords'. This allows you to search any site for keywords, and obviously competitors' sites would be an extremely interesting source!

It's only one week on since the launch of Microsoft adCenter and, although we've now had a chance to try it out and see what it is like to use, it's a bit early for assessing the results but we'll keep you posted as to what we find in the ensuing weeks.

At the moment bids are nice and low since so few advertisers have opened accounts with adCenter, so our advice is get in quick and make hay while the sun shines!

Below is a letter circulated this week (commencing 11th August) informing online advertisers of the new MSN Search Pay Per Click service launched by Microsoft adCenter.

Dear Search Advertiser

If you’ve been buying your Pay-Per-Click advertising through Yahoo! Search Marketing (formerly Overture), you could lose up to 38% of your traffic*.

That’s because after August 15th, MSN’s audience will no longer be accessible through Yahoo!

Instead, this high-quality audience will only be available through adCenter, Microsoft’s revolutionary new Pay-Per-Click service.

adCenter’s unique targeting capabilities turn clickers that cost into customers that pay, eliminating timewasters and boosting your bottom line. And because it advertises your product on MSN Search – which boasts the audience that clicks to buy most often – it has already been shown to convert 57% better than Google and 48% better than Yahoo in the US (WebSideStory, 02/06).

So to hold on to some of your best leads, make sure you’re ready for adCenter. Here are some tips to help you make the most of it right from the August 15th start date…

- Start organising your campaigns. Allocate some budget so you can trial adCenter straight away.
- Prepare your keywords list. And remember, you’ll be able to import your current list straight into the adCenter tool.
- Think about which audience you’d like to focus on, and when. Selling golf holidays? adCenter will let you target men aged between 25 and 50. Running a food delivery service? adCenter will let you focus on mealtimes.
- Prepare your ad copy.

Make sure you sign up straight away so that your business is one of the first to take off. Go to http://advertising.msn.co.uk/keepyourleads

If you need any help, call our support team on 0800 633 5915 between 8am and 6pm, 7 days a week.

And if you usually do you Pay-Per Click advertising through an agency, let them know you’d like to get set up on adCenter. We’ll work with them to ensure you get the best out of our service.

We look forward to having you on board.

Best regards.

Microsoft adCenter
Pay-Per-Click that pays.

*Source: Nielsen NetRatings, May 2006