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When we access the internet to solve a problem, more often than not we use a search engine to find the business that offers us a solution. Across the world there is one dominant business in this space, Google. But in Japan, the platform that comes second is Yahoo! JAPAN. Interestingly, this platform has way more to offer people than just search.
It should also be noted that it is separate from Yahoo, which is owned by Verizon. Instead, Yahoo! JAPAN is a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp. and is specifically made for the Japanese audience. It has over 100 services, including mobile apps such as Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Shopping, and Yahoo! Navigation.
For more on Yahoo! JAPAN and Japan’s PPC market, you can read our article here.
There are many reasons why businesses should advertise on Yahoo! JAPAN. The first is Yahoo! JAPAN’s pure reach and market share. With 84 billion monthly page views, it is said to be the most valuable media spot in Japan and ranks as the highest monthly views of any site in Japan. It also reaches 80% of smartphone users, with 70 million monthly active users on mobile. In 2021, it merged with LINE, Japan’s most popular messaging app, further increasing its reach. The total number of monthly active users across both platforms is about 170 million.
But for a business looking to promote their product or service in Japan, what ad formats are on offer at Yahoo! JAPAN, what benefits can they bring, and when is it right to use each one?
This is active when someone uses the search engine on Yahoo! JAPAN. It is a text advertisement that is displayed on the search result page according to the searched keyword. The main benefit is that you can show your ads at the exact moment when users are searching for your products, services or category.
This is an image or video advertisement that can be displayed on the top page of Yahoo! JAPAN.
This is an advertisement that can be displayed with banners and videos on the Yahoo! JAPAN top page, Yahoo! News, and major partner sites. It can be changed depending on the purpose of the placement (conversion, video playback or site guidance, etc.). You can also take advantage of targeting capabilities based on user interests and purchase intent in order to maximise effectiveness.
ad type | explanation | ad image |
banner ads | Ads that only show images or videos. No text is included in the ad. | ![]() |
responsive advertising | Ads that consist of text, images, videos, and buttons like “see more.” You can run ads in a variety of formats depending on the device or aspect. | ![]() |
dynamic display | This is an ad that dynamically generates information on product lists that are uploaded as a CSV. | |
carousel | A horizontal banner ad that combines multiple images. Each carousel card can have different settings, such as a different image or destination URL, so you can communicate multiple features of your product or service. | ![]() |
text | Text-only ads, such as titles, descriptions and URLs. |
Please see below for a list of the benefits to display advertising on Yahoo! JAPAN:
* campaigns for the purpose of video playback are charged per video playback.
Yahoo! Japan has an incredible reach of people with 84 billion monthly page views. This ad type takes advantage of this and allows you to place images and videos on the top page of Yahoo! JAPAN, Yahoo! News, and other service pages, making them highly visible to customers. In short, it is a great way to promote your brand.
The advertising product itself guarantees a number of impressions during the posting period, and is delivered preferentially over the operational-type advertisement of the same frame. Please note that this ad format is only possible through a sales partner who has a display advertising (Guaranteed) handling contract, such as us at DMFA. Please get in touch with us here if you would like to know more about how we can help.
Display advertising (Guaranteed) offers advertising formats with a large first-view occupancy area. These formats are highly effective when you want to reach a large number of people in a short period of time and gain recognition.
You can create a tie-up site with special effects and design based on the Yahoo! JAPAN homepage. Yahoo! JAPAN’s unique advertising expressions make it ideal for promotions aimed not only at recognition but also at generating buzz and impact.
So, you now know which ad formats exist and their benefits, but when is it right to choose search advertising on Yahoo! JAPAN?
So, you now know which ad formats exist and their benefits, but when is it right to choose display advertising on Yahoo! JAPAN?
The right digital marketing agency for the Japanese market will have experience, expertise and proven results. It is also especially important that the agency has a Japanese native speaker on their PPC team.
For a detailed guide on how to advertise on Yahoo! JAPAN, please refer to our article here.
If you need help setting up ad accounts or managing Yahoo! JAPAN ad campaigns, DFMA’s team of bilingual Japanese digital marketers is ready to support you with our ad management services. We also provide support for LINE Ads, SEO, social media marketing and more. Contact us to learn more and start your digital advertising journey.
“This is a translation of an article published on the Yahoo! Japan website. The original Japanese article can be found here.”