Search engine eZanga.com has begun to
roll out a contextual advertising model for publishers, expanding core services in search engine marketing (SEM) and pay-per-click advertising (PPC). Final tests were wrapped up this week with help
from a handful of publishers and advertisers.
Similar to Google AdSense, eZanga Contextual targets ads based on a Web page's content. A blog site running an article about the
iPhone might serve up to the reader a traditional display advertisement related to an Apple product. The backend system will read the text on the page, consider the geographic and demographic
targeting data, and serve up text or graphic ads related to the content.
The contextual paid ad product based on a cost-per-click (CPC) model gives bloggers or publishers access to pop-up ads,
banners, rich media, keywords, locations, time and day targeting, and underlying text linked to definitions. These tools can drive traffic and revenue without the site owner tinkering with the code or
changing the underlying infrastructure on Web pages or the site. Ad design and creation services are also available to advertisers.
Marketers sign up and select the method of advertising. A
piece of code allows them to quickly add the tools. They can select specific sites within the network to buy traffic. The system has been in the works about four to six months. The eZanga Contextual
platform is built on top of a system from Clicksor.
"We bring in between 10 billion and 12 billion searches per month in the search network -- about one-seventh the size of Google, but
unfortunately we don't have one-seventh the size of their customer base," says Rich Kahn, CEO at eZanga. "One thing we are looking at is the publishers and blog owners that just don't have the
capability to support contextual advertising."
Forrester Research Contextual ads, typically triggered by keyword or based on a specific category, have been rolled into search budgets because of
the CPC model. But as search programs increase in complexity and contextual ads start to include more visual elements, such as still images or video, they will shift into display budgets.
That's according to a report released this week from Forrester Research titled "U.S. Interactive Marketing Forecast, 2009 To 2014." In fact, display advertising -- including contextual listings and
online video -- will grow at a CAGR of 17% to nearly $17 billion by 2014, Forrester estimates.
Advertisers who sign up for eZanga Contextual can track campaign results through the return on
investment (ROI) tracking and detailed reporting system. The technology also lets eZanga clients bid for the most converted keywords, sites and channels while removing those that are ineffective to
the campaign. Publishers can also sign up to be incorporated into the contextual system.
Kahn, along with wife Beth, founded eZanga in 2003 as a contest search engine to earn points for cash and
prizes. They added a social network. Now the self-funded and profitable 20-employee company has built up the customer base, as well as the physical space and the resources to expand to about 70
employees.