AOL Sponsored Listings — Frequently Asked Questions

THESE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ARE PART OF THE STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY.

What is AOL Sponsored Listings?

AOL Sponsored Listings is a content-targeted advertising network of the web's best sites. Our technology connects publishers and advertisers through an auction-based, pay-per-click marketing platform. AOL Sponsored Listings enables cost-per-click advertising on best-in-breed publisher sites, and arms advertisers with the ability to find their target markets within those sites. With content targeted or site specific placements, AOL Sponsored Listings gives advertisers the tools to convert an interested, captive audience into customers.

What's more, advertisers can see where their ads will run - usually on the best, most popular sites in their category.

Where will my ads appear?

AOL Sponsored Listings appear on content sites that were carefully screened by our editors to have robust, unique and quality content offerings. We ensure that we have publisher sites to fit your messaging.

You can target your ads to content (contextual topics), which means they will appear next to content that matches the topics you select. Or you can target specific site pages or sections - a powerful, cost-effective way to place your ad on many of the web's most prestigious sites. Read on for a complete run-down of your site placement options.

What is the difference between 'Contextual - Target Content' and 'PageMatch - Target Sites?' I also see 'RUN OF' or section-based topics in the contextual section -- what are these topics?

We have three types of ad placement options in our system: Contextual Topics, PageMatch Topics and Run of Section Topics.

PageMatch Topics target your ad to the specific homepages or section fronts of premier publisher sites. For example, the topic 'Houston Chronicle Homepage' is a PageMatch Topic that allows you to appear on the homepage of the Houston Chronicle website (www.chron.com). You can find PageMatch site placements on the right hand side of our topic selection step (under 'PageMatch - Target Sites').

Run of Section Topics allow you to target your ad to sections of a premier publisher site. For example, the topic 'Houston Chronicle - Business Articles' allows you to appear on the business articles pages of the Houston Chronicle website (www.chron.com). You can find these topics on the left hand side of the topic selection step (under 'Contextual - Target Content.' There are 'Run of' topics available in most categories).

Contextual Topics are similar to keyword targeting. An example of a contextual topic is 'bankruptcy.' Our technology finds publisher pages with content relevant to 'bankruptcy,' then serves ad listings that are bid to the 'bankruptcy' contextual topic. You can find contextual topics on the left hand side of the topic selection step (under 'Contextual - Target Content.' Just expand a category heading to get started).

Note that you cannot bid on contextual topics outside your category, but you can do so with PageMatch or Run of Section topics. For example, a health advertiser cannot bid on the topic 'bankruptcy,' but may be able bid on the topic 'Houston Chronicle - Business Articles.'

How much does advertising cost?

You pay only when your ad is clicked. You can set the amount that you are willing to pay per click, and the maximum amount you are willing to spend per day. Minimum CPC's (cost per click) usually start around $0.25.

How much does it cost to start an account?

You can start an account with as little as $100. There is no setup fee, but the initial $100 you spend on clicks is non-refundable.

Is there a minimum bid for AOL Sponsored Listings?

The minimum bid for AOL Sponsored Listings varies by topic. Topics start at roughly $ 0.25 per click. You can view minimum CPC's (cost per click) when you are selecting or bidding on topics.

Will my ads appear exactly as I've requested?

Our editorial staff reviews all listings. Provided your ads conform to the editorial guidelines, we will not change your ad without your approval. It is important to note, however, that some publishers impose size, text or other limitations which may crop, shorten or otherwise alter the display of your ad. These alterations are not system wide and only apply to those specific publisher pages.

When will my ad be approved?

While your ad may go live within a few hours, some listings may take 1-2 business days to start being served.

I finished creating my listing, and my account is active. Why don't I see my ad running?

1. All ad listings must be approved by our editorial review staff. While your ad may go live within a few hours, some listings may take 1-2 business days to start being served.
2. Some publishers may have specific editorial guidelines to which your listing does not adhere - for example, a site dedicated to 'healthy dieting' content may not allow advertisers selling diet pills.
3. Your listing may not be bid high enough or to enough topics to receive adequate distribution. Try raising your bids or adding more topics.

Can I use ad text from other keyword targeted campaigns on AOL Sponsored Listings?

As long as the text meets our editorial guidelines, you are welcome to use ad text that has worked for you in the past. We recommend your text targets the AOL Sponsored Listings topics you have selected.

When I enter my URL to have appropriate topics suggested, I get an error or there are no topics.

When entering your URL for automatic topic suggestion, enter the actual URL of the page, not a URL you may be using for tracking purposes. Also, be sure to enter the URL for an html-only version of your site - flash implementations sometimes do not return any results because the text is not searchable.

Are there guidelines for using AOL Sponsored Listings?

Yes. Click here.

Does AOL Sponsored Listings have conversion tracking available?

At this time, ROI tracking is not integrated with AOL Sponsored Listings. However, you can enter any URL that supports third-party tracking into the target URL area of your listing.

I am the highest bidder on a topic. Why does my listing receive so few clicks?

We serve ads based on performance optimization, which means that both bid price and your ad's CTR (click through rate) determine how much volume your ad receives. If you are already bidding high on a topic, but your ad has a low CTR, you can try the following:

• Provide relevant titles and descriptions.Tailor your creative to the selected topic. Where applicable, place the name of the topic in your creative.
• Create more than one ad.By using more than one ad creative, you will learn which message generates the highest click-through rate and the best ROI for you.
• Shorten your creative.Make your message short and to the point. Place the most important information at the beginning of your title and description.
• Keep your creative fresh.Update your ad creative at least once a month to keep viewers engaged.

How can I see where my clicks came from?

You can view the topics that generated your clicks by using the topic report. You can find this report by logging into your account and clicking on the 'Reports' tab, then selecting 'Topic Report'. Be sure to select your desired date range.

What do I have to do to advertise my online pharmacy on AOL Sponsored Listings?

In order to advertise an online pharmacy on AOL Sponsored Listings, the pharmacy must be licensed by SquareTrade (http://www.squaretrade.com).

Can I advertise my affiliate online pharmacy site on AOL Sponsored Listings?

If you are an affiliate of an online pharmacy, the pharmacy to which you are redirecting customers must be licensed by SquareTrade.

Where do I access my Billing Information?

In your AOL Sponsored Listings account, under the 'Account Information' tab, click on 'Billing Information.'

Why did my campaign's cost for a single day exceed my daily budget limit?

Budget limits are applied to maximize the qualified clicks you receive each day. You may see fluctuations above your daily budget on specific days, but over time your campaign's average daily cost does not exceed your selected budget limit. Allowing these fluctuations offsets the days on which your budget is not reached. This way, you won't miss out on qualified clicks that are within your overall budget.

An example: if your daily budget limit is $50 in November, your cost for a single day may exceed $50, but your charges for November (30 days) will not exceed $1500.

How do I target local areas?

The best way for you to target local areas is to use Local site placement targeting. In the topic selection step, use the site placement targeting filter to see topics that come from sites serving your area of interest. These sites are often the most trusted sources of information for the local audiences they serve. By using local site placement targeting, you are placing your ad directly on a publisher site that has a built-in local audience.

What does AOL Sponsored Listings do to ensure the clicks I receive are legitimate?

AOL Sponsored Listings has strict fraud detection algorithms in place to combat both subtle and more obvious click fraud. We constantly employ new technologies to monitor publisher and advertiser traffic. If you suspect you are a victim of fraud, please contact us at support@adsonar.com.

Can I create more than one Ad?

Absolutely. We encourage you to create multiple listings per ad campaign, and, if possible, to create separate listing text relevant to each topic you select.