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    Bing & Yahoo Align With Google’s Trademark Rules For Search Ads

    Bring on the trademarked keywords in the U.S. and Canada, says Microsoft AdCenter. A policy change, which takes effect March 3, means ads appearing on Bing and Yahoo will soon able to be triggered by trademarked keywords, though only authorized users can include trademarks in the text of their ads. The shift brings Microsoft AdCenter […]

    Screen Shot 2011 02 15 At 3.41.28 PMBring on the trademarked keywords in the U.S. and Canada, says Microsoft AdCenter. A policy change, which takes effect March 3, means ads appearing on Bing and Yahoo will soon able to be triggered by trademarked keywords, though only authorized users can include trademarks in the text of their ads. The shift brings Microsoft AdCenter in line with Google’s policies on such matters.

    “We want to make it easier for you to manage your search advertising campaigns,” said an e-mail sent by Microsoft to advertisers. “By aligning the adCenter trademark policy with the current industry standard, we hope to help simplify your marketing efforts across the various online advertising programs.”

    Microsoft declined to discuss the change more fully.

    The use of trademarks in search ad campaigns, either as keywords or as ad text, has been a controversial topic since the dawn of search marketing. Though Google is still fighting lawsuits on the subject, the company seems to feel confident that trademarks can legally be used in keyword targeting in the U.S. Google has changed its trademark policies over time, and now, Microsoft has followed Google’s lead, simplifying matters a bit for search marketers.


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    About the Author

    Pamela Parker
    Pamela Parker is Research Director at Third Door Media's Content Studio, where she produces MarTech Intelligence Reports and other in-depth content for digital marketers in conjunction with Search Engine Land and MarTech. Prior to taking on this role at TDM, she served as Content Manager, Senior Editor and Executive Features Editor. Parker is a well-respected authority on digital marketing, having reported and written on the subject since its beginning. She's a former managing editor of ClickZ and has also worked on the business side helping independent publishers monetize their sites at Federated Media Publishing. Parker earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.