Yahoo Launches Mobile Services For Publishers

Following its February launch of a new mobile display ad platform, Yahoo on Tuesday unveiled a new set of services to help online publishers advertise on mobile phones.

Yahoo Mobile Publisher Services consists of four distinct tools -- Yahoo Mobile Ad Network, Yahoo Mobile Content Engine, Yahoo Mobile Media Directory, and Yahoo Mobile Site Submit -- designed to improve the Internet for mobile phone customers and to help publishers monetize online content tailored for mobile users.

Using the Yahoo Mobile Ad Network, publishers will be able to support their mobile content with syndicated ads, including display ads, video ads, in-game ads, and sponsored links.

Yahoo is partnering with MobiTV (TV on your mobile phone), Opera (an alternative Web browser), and go2 (online phone directory) for the launch of its first mobile ads in April. The company expects to add more partners in coming months. The Yahoo Mobile Content Engine is designed to help publishers make their content available to the mobile audience through Yahoo oneSearch, Yahoo's search engine for mobile phones, even if they don't have a mobile site.

The Yahoo Mobile Media Directory offers publishers the opportunity to make mobile media content -- ringtones, games, video, and applications -- accessible through Yahoo oneSearch. Doing so requires that publishers submit specific content to Yahoo for inclusion.Yahoo Mobile Site Submit provides a way for publishers to submit information like descriptions and tags to facilitate search indexing.

The Yahoo Mobile Publisher Services is now live in 19 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam.