Is anyone using Overture?

[roj]

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I see there have been no posts in this forum for 30 days. Is no one using Overture?
I prefer to use Google Adwords but I am looking to increase my ppc advertising so I am trying Overture. It does not seem to produce as much traffic as Google and is not as user friendly. I have already got stung once as I created a keyword list and missed one of the words when I was changing the CPCs. 4 clicks at £7.45 each ouch!
I am now using a US account as this seems cheaper - any thoughts on US or UK accounts.
I have been waiting 2 weeks for some keywords to be approved, some are approved in a day or so and some take forever. Don't know why.

So, is any one using Overture, if so have you any tips?

[Pete Taylor]

I don't think Overture have really got any idea of the 21st century internet, they are still stuck in the 1990s.

To launch a campaign, and then wait for 3-5 days for it to be approved is a complete joke. Some advertising campaigns only last 3 days, by the time your advert appears, it's too late.

I can launch a Google Adwords campaign and have the adverts appearing in less than 2 minutes. That’s why Google are number 1.

I can have a minimum click on Google for 3p, Overture charge 10p minimum. That’s why Google are number 1.

I can use the Google interface and create 2000 different adverts with 2000 different keywords in about 5 mins. It would take me over 3 days to write them individually with overture. That’s why Google are number 1.

Google Adwords are affiliate friendly, Overture are not. That’s why Google are number 1.

I can set the display url on Adwords to the final destination, Overture want me to show the affiliate networks URL. That’s why Google are number 1.

Google are operating in the 21st Century, Overture still think they are big, but still stuck in the 20th century. That’s why Google are number 1.

[mark-connect]

Overture have a huge turnover of staff, must be a bad place to work, as a result their customer service is shockingly bad.

Ive waited 4 weeks for funds if i pay by cheque, listings have taken weeks and sometimes months, each time they blame it on the system.

They do my head in big style, there so inconsistent its amazing.

[frazer987]

do you guys find you pay more on google?

[Pete Taylor]

do you guys find you pay more on google?

Only because the volumes are higher.

If Overture changed their interface to be as user friendly as Googles, then I would gladly spend more with them!

[roj]

Thanks for your comments guys.
Its not just me who finds Overture (Yahoo) a pain in the a***.
I wonder what Microsoft will come up with.

[monk-i]

When are MSN to come to the game I think its shortly isn't it? Plus Overture is now MIVA or am I mistaken?

[Pete Taylor]

When are MSN to come to the game I think its shortly isn't it? Plus Overture is now MIVA or am I mistaken?

Espotting is now Miva

[monk-i]

Cheers Pete I thought it was. Surely that means MIVA will actually doing something with Overture...

[D-Mac]

not unless Miva buy Yahoo

[marky]

quote Monk-i "Surely that means MIVA will actually doing something with Overture..."

Espotting( now Miva) used to provide sponsored results to Yahoo. Yahoo then bought Overture hence the rebranding from overture to yahoo, and overture ppc results. I don't think Miva has anything to do with overture right now.
I think Inktomi provides / used to provide backfill or something for miva. Inktomi is also now(for last 4 years) owned by yahoo. I think this is where the relationship ends, and I confuse myself more.

[Pete Taylor]

The only link between the Miva and Overture is the payment of compensation!

Miva V Overture

[zaq]

I see there have been no posts in this forum for 30 days. Is no one using Overture?
I prefer to use Google Adwords but I am looking to increase my ppc advertising so I am trying Overture. It does not seem to produce as much traffic as Google and is not as user friendly. I have already got stung once as I created a keyword list and missed one of the words when I was changing the CPCs. 4 clicks at £7.45 each ouch!
I am now using a US account as this seems cheaper - any thoughts on US or UK accounts.
I have been waiting 2 weeks for some keywords to be approved, some are approved in a day or so and some take forever. Don't know why.

So, is any one using Overture, if so have you any tips?

roj overture is the worst ppc tool, always "System Unavailable" on peak times of the day plus when you delete a ad you still billed for it 2 days on and it takes 2 to 3 days for new ads to be added

google is the best ppc

miva (espotting) is getting better with new reports but it takes 2 to 3 days for new ads to be added also with miva you need to open another account for each new bunch of websites you wish to add

[Shivaun]

When we started experimenting with PPC, Overture seemed like a much better bet than Google, because each click cost us less than half as much, but our opening experience was so outrageously crap I can't bring myself to experiment further with them at this point.

We opened our account on a Friday morning, and they sent us an email to say it would take a few days to manually review us. Then the next Wednesday they turned us on at 1pm without sending us an email to let us know. This happened to be the last day of the month, so by 3pm they had spent 6 times the daily budget we had set - we only noticed because we happened to be looking at the logs for a quiet spot to restart our web client. The notification "you're on" email didn't arrive till 7pm - if we hadn't noticed independently, they'd have spent 20 times our daily budget by then!

AND none of the clicks appeared in their logging system till midnight.

AND when I phoned to complain, the supervisor refused to speak to me on the grounds that she was busy, but left her minion to explain that they only guarantee to stick to a monthly budget not a daily one (ever heard of pro-rata?), and that the delay in notification was due to their site maintenance, which apparently was flagged on the site, and that they were not going to give me a refund!

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to rant, I feel so much better now.