Local search and advertising company YP launched a cross-device solution that aims to capitalize on the first-party search behavior of the more than 80 million users that tap into its network of search sites every month.
YP teamed up with cross-device ad targeting player Tapad to power the tech.
Luke Edson, YP’s SVP of National Markets Group – the division within YP that helps national advertisers deliver local campaigns – explained how it works.
“A consumer searches on YP, then YP passes the anonymized user search data to Tapad,” Edson told AdExchanger. “Tapad’s ID synchronization process enables YP to identify common users and associate them with their connected devices in a privacy-safe manner.”
Once the cookie-based love match is made, YP shoots off retargeted mobile ads to the searcher.
The point of YP’s cross-device retargeting tool is to give advertisers the ability to extend the reach of their existing YP ad campaigns by taking advantage of online searches, which in turn trigger targeted ads across devices to people who have just demonstrated that they’re interested in a specific product or service.
YP is banking that intent, as predicted by search activity, directly precedes action. According to Edson, YP has already seen success with a national media and comms company using its cross-device service.
“[This] allows us to reinforce the value proposition of the advertiser with a potential customer,” he said. “What makes YP unique is that our research shows our searchers are likely to buy or take some sort of other action after their search.”
According to a YP-commissioned comScore study, 77% of YP searchers contact a merchant after their search, while 66% go on to make a purchase. Seventy-three percent of its searchers move from one device to another before completing their local business or product search – which is a big motivator behind YP’s need to help brands establish cross-device linkages.
Mobile is also a high priority, as it should be.
“We recognize that advertisers of all sizes want to do more with mobile and we’re continually investing in technology that takes advantage of the data that we have on our 80 million users,” Edson said. “Cross-device retargeting enhances the value of a campaign by allowing us to connect with consumers throughout the search process and across devices.”
