clock 4min read

March 18, 2024

By Elan Ganz

What are Yandex ads and how to start advertising?

Ad Platforms

Yandex, often dubbed the “Google of Russia,” is more than just a search engine; it’s a digital ecosystem encompassing everything from online search and information services to e-commerce, navigation, mobile applications, and, crucially, online advertising. Since its inception in 1997, Yandex has grown to dominate the Russian internet space, serving not only Russia but also Kazakhstan, Belarus, Turkey, and other countries with a significant Russian-speaking population.

Yandex Ads stand out for businesses targeting the Russian-speaking demographic. Yandex Ads offer businesses the opportunity to tap into this extensive network, providing a variety of advertising options designed to meet diverse marketing goals. With its suite of advertising products, Yandex offers precision, reach, and efficiency, making it an indispensable tool for marketers looking to make an impact.

As we delve into the intricacies of Yandex advertising in this blog post, remember that the ultimate aim is to harness the platform’s capabilities to connect with your target audience in a meaningful way. By understanding the features, benefits, and strategic applications of Yandex Ads, businesses can unlock new opportunities for growth and success in the digital realm.

Understanding Yandex Ads

Yandex, a giant in the realm of Russian and Eastern European internet services, offers a robust platform for advertisers to reach millions. Yandex Ads provides a myriad of solutions tailored to meet diverse business needs. This section delves into the basics of the Yandex Advertising Network and offers an overview of Yandex advertising products, shedding light on how businesses can leverage these tools to achieve their marketing goals.

The Basics of Yandex Advertising Network

Yandex LLC, founded in 1997 and incorporated in 2000, has grown to become a leading technology company in Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Turkey, and other Russian-speaking regions. The Yandex Advertising Network is a testament to this growth, encompassing a wide range of internet-related products and services, including one of the largest mobile app monetization networks in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Key Facts:

Launch Year: 1997
Services: Internet search engine, e-commerce, transportation, maps and navigation, mobile applications, and online advertising.
Audience: Primarily Russian-speaking regions including Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Turkey.

The Yandex Advertising Network serves as a bridge between advertisers and a Russian-speaking audience, ensuring a 100% ad unit fill rate. This not only amplifies the visibility of ads but also enhances the likelihood of reaching potential customers who are genuinely interested in the advertised products or services.

Yandex Advertising Products Overview

Yandex advertising products are designed to cater to every level of the sales funnel, from creating awareness among new audiences to engaging potential customers and fostering emotional connections with brands. These tools are equipped with precise settings for targeted contact with customers, both online and offline, backed by deep, machine learning-assisted analytics.

Advertising Solutions:

Contextual Ads: Relevant ads in search results based on user queries.
Display Advertising: Utilizing images, video, and audio content to increase brand awareness.
Video Ads: Performance ads with a pay-per-click model for a compelling visual experience.
Mobile Advertising: Tailored ads for mobile device users to enhance reach and engagement.

Goals and Performance:

Target Audience Reach: Yandex’s algorithms ensure ads are shown to users with a known interest in your products or services, optimizing contact with your target audience at the right price.
Data and Technology: The platform offers formats, display settings, and analytics designed to make investments in advertising more profitable.

By harnessing the power of Yandex ads, businesses can achieve their advertising objectives effectively, reaching their target audience through a network that understands the nuances of the Russian-speaking market.

Click here to learn more about the trends in digital marketing in Russia in 2023

Yandex Ads’ Reach and Relevance

Reaching your target audience effectively is crucial for success across various industries. Yandex Ads offer a powerful solution, especially for businesses in Ecommerce, Travel, Hospitality, Real Estate, and Cryptocurrency, looking to connect with Russian speakers worldwide. Here’s why Yandex Ads stand out for these sectors:

Yandex: Unmatched Audience Reach

100+ million overall audience reach of Yandex Search and Yandex Advertising Network, offering unparalleled access to potential customers.
116 million Russian internet monthly audience, highlighting the vast market available for businesses.
~98.2 million monthly audience within the Yandex ecosystem, demonstrating the platform’s extensive engagement.
~88 million monthly audience specifically for the Yandex search portal, showcasing its dominance in the search engine space.

Yandex Advertising Network (YAN) – A Gateway to Russia’s Online Population

96% of Russia’s online population is reached by YAN, making it an essential platform for advertisers targeting this region.

42% share of impressions from Yandex Services in YAN, indicating the significant impact of Yandex’s own services within the network.

Types of Yandex Advertising Solutions

Yandex offers a comprehensive suite of advertising solutions designed to meet the diverse needs of businesses looking to engage with their target audience effectively. From search ads that capture user intent to display advertising that enhances brand visibility, Yandex’s advertising products are tailored to deliver results across the marketing funnel. This section explores the different types of Yandex advertising solutions, offering insights into how businesses can leverage these options to maximize their reach and impact.

Advertising on Yandex Search

Yandex Search is the gateway through which millions of users find products, services, and information daily. Advertising on Yandex Search allows businesses to place contextual ads that are highly relevant to users’ search queries. These ads appear in Yandex search results and on search partner sites within the Yandex Advertising Network, making them an effective tool for reaching an interested audience.

Key Features:

Relevance: Ads are matched with user queries, ensuring high visibility among interested users.
Cross-Device Visibility: Ads appear on desktop and laptop computers, as well as tablets and smartphones, providing broad coverage.
Customization: Businesses can tailor their ads to match the search intent, increasing the likelihood of engagement.

Yandex Advertising Network Placement

The Yandex Advertising Network (YAN) expands the reach of your advertising efforts by placing ads on thousands of sites across various platforms, including websites, mobile versions, mobile apps, and Smart TV apps. Contextual ads within YAN focus on the user — their interests, online behavior, and the content they are currently viewing — offering a personalized advertising experience.

Key Benefits:

Extensive Reach: One-third of all conversions in Yandex.Direct come from YAN, showcasing its effectiveness in reaching potential customers.
User-Focused: Ads are targeted based on user interests and behaviors, increasing engagement and conversion rates.
Diverse Platforms: With a wide range of partner sites, advertisers can reach their audience wherever they are online.

Display Advertising with Yandex

Display advertising on Yandex serves ads to over 48 million users daily, covering 47% of the Russian internet audience. This format uses images, video, audio content, and special effects to appeal to users and increase brand awareness. Behind its visual appeal, a powerful technological base ensures that ads reach the target audience with high viewability standards.

Display Advertising Features:

Visual Appeal: Utilize images, videos, and audio to capture user attention.
High Standards: Payment is only for real impressions, ensuring cost-effectiveness.
Targeting Options: Advertisers can select their audience using various types of targeting, including geotargeting, demographic targeting, behavioral retargeting, search retargeting, and more.

Geotargeting and Demographic Targeting

Businesses can define their target audience based on specific regions, cities, gender, age, and income level, enabling precise ad delivery to those most likely to be interested.

Behavioral and Search Retargeting

Yandex ads offer advanced retargeting options that allow businesses to show ads to users who have previously interacted with their website or displayed specific search behaviors, enhancing the relevance and effectiveness of ad campaigns.

By utilizing these diverse Yandex advertising solutions, businesses can create a customized media mix that aligns with their marketing objectives and audience preferences. Whether the goal is to drive sales, increase brand awareness, or engage potential customers, Yandex provides the tools and technologies necessary to achieve advertising success in the Russian-speaking market.

Curious about how Yandex compares to Google? Click here to learn about DV360 and how to start advertising.

Innovative Advertising Formats

Yandex continually evolves its advertising offerings to meet the changing needs of businesses and consumers alike. With the advent of innovative advertising formats, advertisers have more tools at their disposal to create compelling, memorable campaigns that resonate with their target audience. This section highlights some of the most impactful advertising formats available on Yandex, including video, mobile, and location-based advertising.

Video Advertising in Yandex

Video advertising has surged in popularity, with 2018 marking the first year that advertisers spent more on online video ads than on TV advertisements. Yandex capitalizes on this trend by offering a variety of video advertising options that allow businesses to connect with users in a dynamic and engaging way.

Key Video Advertising Options:

Videos in Yandex.Direct Display Campaigns: Enables advertisers to incorporate video ads within their display campaigns, accessible even to smaller businesses.
Video in Yandex.Display for Brand Awareness: Targets broad audiences to enhance brand loyalty and emotional connections, with payment on a CPM basis.
Multi-roll in the KinoPoisk Player: Allows businesses to reach the vast audience of Russia’s largest cinematography website.
Video Advertising in Yandex.Direct: Offers video ads and video extensions with payment per click, boosting online sales and supporting brand awareness.

Video advertising on Yandex offers the advantage of reaching tens of millions of users across the Yandex Video Network and its partners, making it a potent tool for improving brand perception, expanding reach, and driving sales.

Mobile Advertising Opportunities

As smartphones become increasingly integral to daily life, mobile advertising has emerged as a critical channel for businesses looking to reach potential clients “on the go.” Yandex provides several mobile advertising formats designed to maximize brand awareness and engagement on mobile devices.

Mobile Formats:

Paid Search: Special mobile ads in Yandex.Direct respond to queries from mobile users, enhancing visibility and engagement.
Display. Mobile Home Page: Image ads with broad reach, ideal for increasing brand awareness.
Paid Search for Mobile Apps: Features like icons, prices, store ratings, and a “Download” button create eye-catching ads for mobile search results and the Yandex Advertising Network.
Audio Ads: Reach a captive audience with ads played between tracks on Yandex.Music and Yandex.Radio, ensuring engagement even when browsers are closed.

Location-Based Advertising

Location-based advertising taps into the power of Yandex.Navigator and Yandex.Maps to deliver ads to users planning their routes or moving around the city. This form of advertising is especially beneficial for businesses looking to attract local foot traffic or highlight their proximity to users searching for nearby services.

Advantages of Location-Based Advertising:

Targeted Reach: Pinpoint potential customers based on their current location or search intent.
Increased Visibility for Small Businesses: Helps small businesses stand out among competitors by promoting their services to local users.
Boost Sales for Lagging Stores: Large brands can use location-based ads to stimulate sales in underperforming stores by targeting nearby customers.

By leveraging these innovative advertising formats, businesses can create more personalized and engaging campaigns that capture the attention of their target audience. Whether through the immersive experience of video ads, the targeted reach of mobile advertising, or the local appeal of location-based ads, Yandex provides a wealth of options to enhance marketing strategies and drive results.

Couponer

Developed by Adcore, a Premier Google Partner and Elite Microsoft Partner, Couponer offers a seamless and secure way for businesses to extend their advertising reach without breaking the bank. With Couponer, obtaining promotional codes worth up to $500 becomes a hassle-free process, allowing advertisers to amplify the effectiveness of their campaigns. In the context of expanding your digital advertising efforts, particularly in the Russian-speaking market through platforms like Yandex, Couponer stands out as an invaluable resource. Couponer’s ability to provide substantial savings enhances your campaign’s profitability and impact, enabling a more extensive reach across Yandex’s powerful advertising network.

Integrating Couponer into your Yandex advertising strategy allows you to leverage these savings, ensuring that your campaign not only targets the right audience with precision but also extends further, thanks to the additional financial flexibility. Whether you’re aiming to increase brand awareness, engage potential customers, or drive conversions, Couponer amplifies your advertising capabilities, making every investment work harder for you.

See how you can get a $500 Yandex Coupon for your next campaign.

Registration and Monetization with Yandex

Navigating the Yandex Advertising Network (YAN) can open up a world of opportunities for businesses looking to tap into the vast Russian-speaking market. This section offers a comprehensive guide on how to get started with Yandex ads, from registration to monetization, ensuring a smooth entry for advertisers new to the platform.

Getting Started with Yandex Advertising Network

Before launching your advertising campaign on Yandex, the first step is to register and gain access to the Yandex Advertising Network interface. This process is straightforward but crucial for accessing the myriad advertising solutions Yandex offers.

Step-by-Step Registration Guide:

Visit the Yandex Advertising Network main page at partner.yandex.com and click on “Join.” This action opens the partner application form.
Select your country of residence to tailor the registration process to your specific location.
Specify your status as a Yandex partner, whether as a legal entity (business), an individual, or an individual entrepreneur (self-employed).
Choose the remuneration currency (note: this option is not available for residents of Russia or legal entities and individual entrepreneurs of Belarus).
Provide personal data and contact information as required in the registration form.
Indicate what you want to monetize: whether it’s a site, an app, or both.
Agree to the Yandex Advertising Network Terms of Offer and consent to the processing and storage of personal data by ticking the appropriate boxes.
Click Register to submit your application and gain access to the Yandex Advertising Network interface.

Monetization Methods and Ad Formats

After registration, the next step is to explore the monetization methods and ad formats that Yandex offers. This will help you understand how best to leverage the platform’s capabilities for your advertising needs.

Monetization Methods:

Yandex Mediation: Display ads from several advertising networks, maximizing earnings on ad impressions.
Third-party Mediation: Connect Yandex Advertising Network units to the mediation of other advertising networks for enhanced reach.
Direct Integration of YAN Units: For displaying exclusively Yandex Advertising Network ads within your app.
Direct Ad Sales with Adfox: Place your own advertising banners in the app for direct control over advertising content.

In-app Ad Formats:

Yandex supports a variety of in-app ad formats, allowing businesses to choose the most suitable type based on their campaign goals and audience preferences:

Banner: Displays text and image ads, or video ads, with customizable sizes.
Interstitial: Full-screen ads shown at natural breaks in app usage, supporting text, image, or video content.
Rewarded: Offers incentives to users for watching ads, suitable for video games.
Native: Allows for a seamless integration of ads with app content by customizing the appearance of text and image ads.
InStream: Video ads displayed according to a specific scenario (e.g., before, during, or after the main video).
App Open Ads: Shown when the app is loading, offering a balance between visibility and user experience.

By selecting the appropriate monetization method and ad format, businesses can effectively engage with their audience, enhancing the user experience while driving revenue through the Yandex Advertising Network.

Find out all you need to know about Yandex Pricing.

Launching Your First Campaign

After registering with the Yandex Advertising Network and understanding the available monetization methods and ad formats, the next step is to launch your advertising campaign. This quick start guide outlines the process of setting up monetization with the Yandex Advertising Network, ensuring a smooth transition from planning to execution.

Step 1: Create an Account

To kickstart your journey with the Yandex Advertising Network, the initial step involves creating an account. This process is straightforward and designed to be user-friendly:

Navigate to the Monetization Page: Go to ads.yandex.com/monetization and click on “Get started.”
Enter Required Information: Fill in all necessary details to set up your account. This includes personal information, business details, and payment information.
Log In: Once your account is created, log into the Yandex Advertising Network interface to access a comprehensive suite of tools and settings.

Step 2: Add an App

Monetization with Yandex is not limited to web properties; it extends to mobile applications across various platforms. Here’s how to add your app to the Yandex Advertising Network:

Select the App Store: Yandex supports apps from the App Store, Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, Xiaomi (getapp.store), Samsung Galaxy Store, Amazon Appstore, NashStore, and RuStore.
Adding Your App: Follow the instructions under “Adding an app” to submit your application for inclusion in the Yandex Advertising Network.
Verify Ownership: Confirm access to the app using the developer’s email or the site specified in the app store.
Await Moderation: Your app will automatically be submitted for moderation. Approval is essential for proceeding to the next steps.

Step 3: Create an Ad Unit

With your app added and approved, the next action is to create ad units tailored to your advertising goals:

Choose the Ad Format: Select from banner ads, interstitial ads, rewarded ads, native ads, InStream ads, or App Open Ads based on your preference and strategy.
Customize Settings: Enter the ad unit’s name and adjust settings to align with your campaign objectives.
Obtain the Unique ID: Each ad unit is assigned a unique ID, which will be used to track performance and manage placements.

Step 4: Integrate Ad Units into the App Code

Integration varies depending on the platform and the selected monetization method. Ensure that ad units are correctly implemented within your app’s code to start displaying ads:

Follow Platform-Specific Guidelines: Use the Yandex documentation for detailed instructions on integrating ad units based on your app’s platform.
Test the Integration: Before going live, verify that ads are displaying as expected within your app to ensure a smooth user experience.

Step 5: Additional Yandex Advertising Network Tools

To maximize the effectiveness of your advertising campaign, Yandex offers several additional tools:

Explore Required Documents and Payment Terms: Understand the legal and financial aspects of your partnership with Yandex.
Configure App-ads.txt: Enhance security and transparency by specifying authorized digital sellers for your app.
Manage Newsletters: Stay informed about the latest updates, statistics changes, and monetization tips.
Direct Sales via Adfox: If eligible, use Adfox to manage direct ad sales, offering greater control over the advertising content displayed within your app.

By following these steps, you can efficiently set up and launch your advertising campaign on the Yandex Advertising Network. Each phase is designed to streamline the process, from account creation to ad unit integration, ensuring your venture into Yandex advertising is both successful and rewarding.

Click here for the ultimate guide to Yandex SEO.

Maximizing Your Ad Performance

With your Yandex advertising campaign now live, the journey towards achieving digital marketing success in the Russian-speaking market is well underway. Harnessing the comprehensive tools and platforms provided by Yandex can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility, engagement, and conversion rates. Here are key takeaways and next steps to ensure your campaign’s ongoing success and optimization.

Key Takeaways

Comprehensive Solutions: Yandex offers a broad spectrum of advertising options, from search and display ads to innovative video, mobile, and location-based formats. This variety allows businesses to tailor their marketing strategies precisely to their target audience’s preferences and behaviors.
User-Centric Targeting: The advanced targeting capabilities of Yandex, including demographic, behavioral, and geotargeting, enable advertisers to reach their ideal customers with high precision, improving the effectiveness of their campaigns.
Analytical Insight: With Yandex’s deep, machine learning-assisted analytics, advertisers have access to valuable data about their campaign’s performance. This insight facilitates informed decision-making and strategy adjustments to maximize ROI.
Flexible Monetization: Yandex not only provides a platform for advertising but also offers diverse monetization methods for app developers and website owners, ensuring a steady revenue stream through engaging ad formats.

Next Steps for Optimizing Your Campaign

Monitor and Analyze Performance: Regularly review your campaign’s analytics to understand which ads, targeting options, and formats deliver the best results. Use these insights to refine your approach continually.
Experiment with Ad Formats: Don’t hesitate to test different ad formats and creative approaches. Sometimes, a minor change in ad design or format can lead to significant improvements in performance.
Adjust Targeting Settings: As you gather more data about your audience, fine-tune your targeting settings to focus more on the segments that are most responsive to your ads.
Explore New Features: Stay updated with Yandex’s latest advertising features and technologies. The digital advertising landscape is constantly evolving, and leveraging new tools can give you a competitive edge.
Engage with Your Audience: Consider using feedback from your audience to guide your advertising content and strategies. Engaging with your audience can provide valuable insights into their needs and preferences.
Optimize for Mobile: With the increasing importance of mobile devices in consumers’ lives, ensure your ads are optimized for mobile platforms to maximize reach and engagement.
Leverage Location-Based Advertising: If your business benefits from local foot traffic or offers location-specific services, make the most of Yandex’s location-based advertising options to target potential customers nearby.

If you are looking for additional options outside the Google ecosystem, here are 23 alternative search engines other than Google that you can start advertising on.

Conclusion

Advertising on Yandex offers a unique opportunity to reach and engage with the vast Russian-speaking market effectively. By understanding the platform’s capabilities, optimizing your campaign based on performance data, and staying abreast of the latest digital marketing trends, you can achieve your business goals and drive meaningful results. Remember, the key to success in digital advertising is continual learning, testing, and optimization. With Yandex, you have all the tools and support needed to make your marketing efforts successful in this dynamic and diverse market.

Are you ready to elevate your advertising strategy and achieve more with your budget? Visit Couponer today to unlock your promotional code and start optimizing your campaigns with significant savings. Embrace the opportunity to maximize the impact and reach of your advertising efforts, all while ensuring your budget stretches further. With Couponer, experience the perfect blend of innovation and efficiency in digital advertising.

Additional Resources:

See how Yandex compares to DV360 in this article → Yandex vs GDN: What’s the difference?
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