• by Tameka Kee , October 24, 2007

San Francisco-based Kontera has rolled out ContentLink Local, a regional targeting feature for its in-text ad solution. Advertisers can choose to target users by state, city, area code or DMA--and brands like Chevrolet and Nortel have already signed on to test the service.

Kontera's technology scans and analyzes content in real-time, constantly updating the ad-tagged keywords according to the page's topic or subtopic. When users mouse-over tagged text, an ad layer opens that can display text, rich media or video ads, as well as relevant content from elsewhere on the site. With ContentLink Local, both smaller, local businesses and national advertisers can use Kontera's ads to reach their desired geographic markets.

The company began beta testing the IP address-based regional targeting for about two months, rolling it out to all advertisers after achieving favorable results for clients like Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery. The Beverly Hills-based plastic surgery practice saw in-text ad CTRs that were greater than 10% in their chosen local markets.

"We know exactly where our demographic lives, so we need to ensure that our advertising message is seen only in these pinpointed areas," said the practice's founder and medical director Dr. Lloyd Krieger. "In reviewing our options, we decided to go with Kontera's ContentLink Local ... and we're glad we did."

According to Bryan Everett, Kontera's senior vice president of sales and business development, the company initially launched their in-text solution with the ability to target by country--but had plans for more localized targeting once the network gained some scale.

With nearly 7,000 publishers reaching a reported 42 million monthly uniques (according to comScore)--the in-text ad firm is now able to offer ContentLink Local.

Everett added that there was equal interest from search and direct response marketers, as the keyword-based targeting model is "a natural extension for them"--as well as brand advertisers with national penetration.

"They're looking for additional reach, and the opportunity to have their branding creative associated with the content of the page - since that's where people are spending most of their time," said Everett.

With CPC pricing, fully transparent site lists, and the option to work with a dedicated account manager, the company is "focused on optimizing relevancy and yield for publishers, advertisers, and users," said Everett.

In related news, in-text content and ad server JargonFish added three new publishers to its network--AGIS.com (a site for the elder care and long-term caregiver community), caregivers, TENMagazines.com (home of The Enthusiast Network of print and Web properties), as well as ZigaZoga (a European-based, charity-focused football community).

Phoenix-based JargonFish offers publishers a self-serve in-text widget that gives site visitors access to video, image and keyword search, e-commerce and social bookmarking tools through resources like Flickr, eBay and Wikipedia.