Images Next To Ads - A Yahoo Response

[sundaybrew]

I wish yahoo would just be clear in the TOS like NO images

This is confusing

[webmasta]

I was told 5 days ago images are NOT allowed by ads, I would read the above post from sitepoint.

My images WERE relevant to the site. Seems no one knows for sure, but I'm not risking losing my account over some stupid images.

[frankybme]

I have asked for them to cheak out some of my sites with images and they told its fine as long as its within the sites content.

[webmasta]

several emails from YAHOO! Last week I got these.
-----------------------------------------------------

As you are aware, the Yahoo! Publisher Network program policies include a provision that our ad units cannot be obscured in any way. Specifically:

* The ad unit must be clearly labeled as ?Ads by Yahoo!? and this label should not be confused with other advertising or links on your page

* The user must be able to tell the difference between the ad unit and other content on your page

* Images or other media cannot be associated with the ad unit

During a review, we found that one or more of your web pages were in violation of this policy:

--->www.blahblahblah34947u29382934234.net <--- Not real url


If you wish to continue as a participant in the Yahoo! Publisher Network program, we ask that you make changes to your web site to conform with the policy described above.
Please, make the necessary changes to all pages containing Yahoo! Ads.

After making the requested changes, please reply to this email so that we may review your web site and update your account records to reflect your adherence with our Yahoo! Publisher Network Beta Terms and Conditions and Program Policies.

Please be assured that we look forward to your continued participation in the program. If you have questions or concerns about the changes we?re asking for, please do not hesitate to contact us.

another email from them
-------------------------------

we do not allow association of photos next to ads.



and another email from them
------------------------------------------

Yes Images next to the ads is not allowed

[Red Thunder]

Originally Posted by webmasta

several emails from YAHOO! Last week I got these.
-----------------------------------------------------

As you are aware, the Yahoo! Publisher Network program policies include a provision that our ad units cannot be obscured in any way. Specifically:

* The ad unit must be clearly labeled as ?Ads by Yahoo!? and this label should not be confused with other advertising or links on your page

* The user must be able to tell the difference between the ad unit and other content on your page

* Images or other media cannot be associated with the ad unit

During a review, we found that one or more of your web pages were in violation of this policy:

--->www.blahblahblah34947u29382934234.net


If you wish to continue as a participant in the Yahoo! Publisher Network program, we ask that you make changes to your web site to conform with the policy described above.
Please, make the necessary changes to all pages containing Yahoo! Ads.

After making the requested changes, please reply to this email so that we may review your web site and update your account records to reflect your adherence with our Yahoo! Publisher Network Beta Terms and Conditions and Program Policies.

Please be assured that we look forward to your continued participation in the program. If you have questions or concerns about the changes we?re asking for, please do not hesitate to contact us.

another email from them
-------------------------------

we do not allow association of photos next to ads.



and another email from them
------------------------------------------

Yes Images next to the ads is not allowed

Wooopppy! I love your URL!

[webmasta]

Originally Posted by boxer126

Here's their exact quote they sent me regarding my site when I asked about images.....I'm sick of people yelling about images near ads. They ARE allowed as long as they aren't being mistaken as part of the ad. You can visit the site to see how they're separated.


Hope it helps.

-boxer126

I agree, your images are above the ads, or way away from them so that is why they approved.

I think the smartest thing todo would be either ask Yahoo to check a not live view of your site with images by ads, or DONT put images by the ads at all....

[sundaybrew]

I think this will go on forever, ads , no ads, shoemoney makes tool for ads ..............who knows

[john269]

Well, it looks like you can optimize these ads that well either. The main reason why we blend them into our content by using the same colors as our background and things is so they don't look so much like ads.

Now it looks as if we can't do things like that either, lol, because our visitors may get confused and think it is actually our content and not ads.

Originally Posted by webmasta

* The user must be able to tell the difference between the ad unit and other content on your page

[inferno3387]

They DO allow images next to ads. You guys need to calm down. Revelancy means YOUR SITE'S content. The reason why yahoo is getting pissed off about images, is when their publishers put BABE pictures beside ads If someone puts babe pictures beside ads, that has nothing to do with the content, they get pissed

You guys understand now??

[WebmasterWanabe]

I keep hearing about shoemoney I must check them out.. I guess I just dont like the name it reminds me of my wife buying expensive shoes..

[sundaybrew]

Originally Posted by WebmasterWanabe

I keep hearing about shoemoney I must check them out.. I guess I just dont like the name it reminds me of my wife buying expensive shoes..

Shoemoney is the king of the net! Great Guy!

[webmasta]

Originally Posted by inferno3387

They DO allow images next to ads. You guys need to calm down. Revelancy means YOUR SITE'S content. The reason why yahoo is getting pissed off about images, is when their publishers put BABE pictures beside ads If someone puts babe pictures beside ads, that has nothing to do with the content, they get pissed

You guys understand now??

Dude, I was emailed by them as I stated above, and did NOT have babe pictures by ads and my content WAS relevant.

[danimal]

webmasta, about the only thing left is that you were blending the pics in with the ads too much... do you have a link to the url that was not approved?

[BIGC]

i have been this kind for long ..it looks good

[YahooSarah]

All,

After reading the discussion on this thread, I wanted to clear up the issues around images and Yahoo ads.

Bottom line: Images next to ads are not allowed in YPN unless there is a clear distinction between the images and ads.

Specifically from our guidelines:
• The user must be able to tell the difference between the Ad Unit and other content on the publisher's page.
• The Ad Unit cannot be obscured in any way
• The Ad Unit must be clearly labeled as "Ads by Yahoo!" and this label should not be confused with other advertising or links on the publisher's page.
• Images or other media cannot be associated with the Ad Unit.
• The Ad Page must not actively encourage users to click on Ad Units.

Hope this clears up the confusion. Feel free to send me an email if you have questions. Thanks
YahooSarah

[DEone]

I'm not sure that clears anything up...

how does one define an image being "associated with an Ad Unit."?

That seems to be the main point of discussion here. "associated with an Ad Unit" can be very subjective and mean different things to different people.

I personally avoid the practice just because I don't want to do anything that may lead to YPN dropping me.

But if we could get a concrete definition of what is OK and what isn't, I'd like to try using images. I'm not looking to trick anyone into clicking on the ads or encourage anyone to click on one but I would like to do anything I can to draw a visitor's attention to them. Especially since the ad targetting on my site is pretty good and my visitors will likely find the ads useful

[ablaye]

Originally Posted by d16man

I think the less you have to ask Yahoo about the better....my philosophy is that if I think it might be questioned, I don't do it...good luck.

Good advice.

[yaffer]

i was recently interviewed by a Yahoo rep about YPN. i asked him about this very topic and he said that there needs to be significant distance between the image (which he wouldn't define) and also a verticle line separating the ad from the image.

[danimal]

i hope that everyone notices that yahoosarah did not specify any minimum distance between the ypn ad and the pic... because there is none, every situation is different.

in my case, it's a photo gallery of thumbnails, with a line around every pic, and all of the pics and all of the ad blocks right up against each other... it was probably approved by both adsense and ypn because there is no question as to the purpose of the pics on the page, and the line clearly seperates them from the ad block.

yaffer, since your ypn rep specified a vertical line, was it in reference to your particular website?

[Juan G]

Originally Posted by YahooSarah

(...) Images next to ads are not allowed in YPN unless there is a clear distinction between the images and ads.

Specifically from our guidelines:
• The user must be able to tell the difference between the Ad Unit and other content on the publisher's page. (...)

Are there more details on this clear distinction required in YPN for site images in areas near ads?

For example, Google requires a clearly visible border (with space and for example a line, or a rectangle, or a different background color, etc.) between ads and nearby images, to make it clear that the site images are not part of the ads.

What YahooSarah says about a clear distinction for images next to ads seems to be a similar YPN's guideline. Is this correct?