Is Yahoo! Starting to Use In-Text Ads?

A couple of days ago I was browsing on my secondary email account on Yahoo! when I came across the word “plasma tv” with a dashed underline. Once I hovered my mouse over it, a small ad appeared, as you can see on the screenshot below:

By doing a small research around the web, I found that this is a new product launched by Yahoo! a while ago, and it is called Yahoo! Shortcuts, and they even have a WordPress plugin that you can use to have the Shortcuts on your blog.

The declared purpose of this service is to “enhance the content,” with Flickr photos, descriptions and related information.

In my opinion, however, Yahoo! is just trying to use in-text ads to generate some extra money. I checked a couple of emails in my account, and on most of them the Shortcuts popup would bring stuff that could be considered promotional. Even when it just added extra information, it had a link inviting you to search about that keyword on Yahoo!, and as you know they serve ads on their search pages too.

I am not a fan of in-text ads (in fact early in 2007 I wrote the post Stay Away from In-Text Advertising), and I think Yahoo! should think twice before using something that is as intrusive as that.

Have you seen those Shortcuts around? Do you like them?

Daniel Scocco on November 18, 2008 Subscribe to our RSS Feed

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18 Responses to “Is Yahoo! Starting to Use In-Text Ads?”

Jeremy on November 18th, 2008 8:18 am

I hate them. I often accidentally trigger them when I am moving my mouse over text, and the popups then obscure text I am trying to read.

I am guilty of once using them on my own blog (Text-Link-Ads InLinks), but my conscience got the better of me, and now they’ve Gone to Gowings.
Ryan McLean on November 18th, 2008 8:59 am

I absolutely hate these ads also. They are so annoying because they just get in the way of the content. Like Jeremy I accidentally trigger them and it frustrates the hell out of me.
When I was a noob I use to have these on my blog but I removed them due to my own frustration not because of any complaints anyone had. I don’t think I ever made any money from them
Rocky on November 18th, 2008 10:07 am

I HATE these ads and will immediately navigate away from sites and blogs that use them. They are as intrusive as pop-ups used to be. I think it is a huge mistake for Yahoo! to assist in their use. Boo Yahoo!
TechZoomIn on November 18th, 2008 10:20 am

I don’t like Yahoo itself…..

The reasons are many

If you compare yahoo mail with Gmail..yahoo will show too many ads on sidebars that too image ads. It look very ugly to open the mails in that..

Gmail too use ads but it will stick to the number and use only text ads.

SO finally i don’t like yahoo mail and any other products of that Yahoo.
HowToMakeMyBlog.com on November 18th, 2008 11:48 am

It seems like Yahoo is just trying to milk the money they can get out of their decreasing number of users. It is sad that they do not even try to compete with Google, but just use their existing visitors to try and earn as much as possible… not a very smart long-term strategy…

Marko
http://www.howtomakemyblog.com
Mr. I on November 18th, 2008 12:02 pm

Revenue! Why don’t they consider users before thinking about such strategies. I also saw some of them in my account.

They ask for money for POP-Access, Serve ads that often don’t load (happened with me many times) nad not what else? With this, I have no reason to continue using their mail. GMail Rocks (7 GB and Still Growing… is enough for me)
Pink Ink on November 18th, 2008 12:38 pm

Very annoying to say the least.
Custom Logo Design on November 18th, 2008 12:51 pm

I don’t like In-Text Ads
Like pop code.
Money Making Ideas ~ Suzanne on November 18th, 2008 12:55 pm

Wow! I do have one Yahoo mail account but it’s mostly spam now … and I use it to monitor delivery of one of my newsletter services. I haven’t seen the ads but I’m sure they’re there … YUCK! I can’t stand them! Clearly someone is making money off of them … or they wouldn’t still be in existence but I think most bloggers have figured out that their readers don’t like them. Thanks for the heads up … hadn’t heard and I’m not impressed … that’s for sure. *SmiLes* Suzanne
Internet Marketing Tips on November 18th, 2008 12:58 pm

Hoho..It’ seems like every one don’t like Yahoo and their services..
Lindsey on November 18th, 2008 1:58 pm

I hate them… in my email. If Yahoo wants to put them in their own content on their own site materials - I have no issue. It’s their space, their content and in the end of course their goal is to make money. But invading the messages I receive in my personal email is frustrating, annoying and irritating. Honestly I haven’t used Yahoo Mail services since the late 90s and the only time I’m forced to use it nowadays is testing for email newsletters to make sure that it looks right in Yahoo mail.
Shannon Smith on November 18th, 2008 2:40 pm

I don’t like them at all. I tend to stay away from sites that have them. It is frustrating when they pop up while I’m trying to read the content. And it seems like it takes a while to get it to go away so I can finish reading the article.
Ujank on November 18th, 2008 2:43 pm

I think it is new inovation. But will it become famous ?
Solo Business Marketing on November 18th, 2008 7:38 pm

What I especially don’t like about these ads is that the very words I link to within my own posts are the ones that Yahoo! chooses for their ads.

So instead of someone clicking on the word to go to my online dictionary to review the term, Yahoo! makes the word an ad. What an “education.”
Melissa Donovan, Copywriter on November 18th, 2008 9:40 pm

I don’t like in-text ads anyway but on email? Heck no! Another reason to stay away from all things Yahoo for regular usage. I mean, yes, you pretty much need a Yahoo account but you sure don’t have to use it as your primary.
Kurt on November 19th, 2008 9:53 am

Intext ads dont really annoy me as long as they are very limited. Lets say around 3 to 4 per page is ok..but too much is really annoying! I don’t use them however.
laptop on November 24th, 2008 3:43 am

i like this post. some good information.
DIY on December 18th, 2008 10:53 am

Oh please no. They drive me crazy. You skim your mouse and these awful boxes appear. The drive me crazy. I always think that sites that use these are cheap. I leave fast as possible.

Websites seem to be driven by ads these days. I understand why, it just makes me sad.