How to Set Up Yandex Direct: A Step-by-Step Guide
— PPC: Yandex Direct and YAN
A step-by-step walkthrough of how to build and launch Yandex Direct ads so you pay for leads, not clicks: from the keyword list and campaign structure to Metrica and optimization.
Step 1. Build the keyword list and negative keywords
Setup starts with the keyword list, not the ads: the search queries people should find you by. I group queries by intent (service, location, "buy/order", informational) so every group gets its own relevant ad.
In parallel I collect negative keywords: "free", "DIY", "employee reviews" and anything else that brings irrelevant traffic. The cleaner the keyword list at launch, the less you overpay for stray clicks in the first week.
Step 2. Separate search, YAN and Campaign Wizard
Search and YAN (the Yandex Advertising Network) are different audiences with different bidding logic, so they always live in separate campaigns. On search, the person is already looking for a solution; in YAN we catch up with them on third-party sites. Campaign Wizard is handy for a quick start and a niche test, but for a controllable result the main load sits on manual campaigns.
- Search: hot demand, ads written strictly for the query
- YAN: warm and cold traffic, the visual and the headline do the work
- Campaign Wizard: quick hypothesis tests and autotargeting
Step 3. Write the ads and fill in the extensions
An ad carries the keyword in the headline, a specific benefit and a call to action. I always fill in sitelinks, callouts, the display URL and the business card: they enlarge the ad for free and raise its clickability, so the higher CTR lowers the cost per click.
Step 4. Set up Yandex Metrica and goals
Without analytics, advertising is blind. Before launch I set up Yandex Metrica, goals (lead form, call, submitted contact) and link it to Direct. Only with goals in place can you optimize campaigns for cost per lead instead of clicks, and see which keywords bring real money.
Step 5. Manage and optimize
Launch is the start, not the finish. What follows is weekly work: cleaning search queries and adding negative keywords, adjusting bids, switching off unprofitable keywords and YAN placements, A/B testing ads. The goal of ongoing management is to lower the cost per lead steadily and scale what already pays off.
Common beginner mistakes
- Mixing search and YAN in one campaign
- Launching ads without goals set up in Metrica
- Judging results by clicks and CTR instead of leads
- Skipping negative keywords and burning budget on irrelevant queries
- Stopping a campaign after 2 or 3 days, before it has learned
See also
Need a turnkey setup
- Yandex Direct Setup and Management — search, YAN, Metrica, cost-per-lead optimization
Get in touch: Telegram or e-mail nikitadenisov7548@gmail.com.
