Yandex Direct: how to launch without burning the budget
Direct follows the same logic as Google Ads but differs in details that cost money: a different display network, different rules for automation, different audience behaviour. Here is what matters before you launch.
First rule: search and the display network are always separate campaigns, otherwise the statistics blend and you cannot read anything. Before launch you need goals in analytics, negative phrases and a precise region. The most useful tool after launch is the search terms report: it shows what you are actually paying for.
In this article8 sections
Two placement types you must not mix
Direct shows ads in two different places, and they are fundamentally different channels.
| Search | Display network | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | In Yandex search results | On partner sites |
| The person's intent | Searching right now | Busy with something else |
| Cost per click | Higher | Lower |
| Conversion | Higher | Lower |
| Format | Text | Text and images |
The classic beginner mistake is leaving both placements in one campaign. The statistics then blend together and you cannot tell what works. The network almost always brings more clicks and fewer requests, which skews every average.
The settings that decide things
- Separate campaigns for search and the network. Always.
- Display region — your city, not the whole country. Extended geo-targeting is best turned off at the start.
- Strategy — manual or capped at the start, automated once conversions have accumulated.
- Goals — configured in analytics and passed to Direct, otherwise there is nothing to optimise against.
- Adjustments — by device, gender and age, once you have data.
- Negative phrases — at both campaign and group level.
How to collect key phrases
- Build the baseThrough Yandex's keyword tool: every query around your services with its frequency.
- Cut the noiseInformational queries, other cities, other people's brands, «free» and «do it yourself».
- Group by meaningOne group, one intent, its own ad and its own landing page.
- Check the frequency in quotesThe general figure is often misleading: it includes every nested query.
- Build a negative listBefore launch, not after the first spend.
Ads: what to write
- Put the key phrase in the headline. It gets highlighted and increases clicks.
- Specifics instead of generalities: price, timeline, condition. «From 3000, on site within an hour» works better than «quality and reliability».
- The second headline and the body — for benefits and for removing objections.
- All extensions: sitelinks, callouts, address, phone, prices. They are free and enlarge the ad.
- Several different ads per group for testing: the system will favour the one that works.
What to do in the first weeks
- Every few days, review the search terms report and top up your negative phrases.
- Turn off phrases that generate clicks without requests beyond a set threshold.
- Check that requests are arriving: often the problem is not the advertising but the form or the mailbox.
- Watch your ad position: too low brings few clicks, too high brings expensive ones.
- Compare cost per request across groups and shift budget towards the cheaper ones.
The search terms report is the most useful tool in Direct. It is where you see what you are actually paying for, and it almost always turns up spending you did not expect.
How Direct differs from Google Ads in practice
- The Yandex display network is broader and cheaper, but traffic quality within it varies a great deal.
- Automated strategies need more accumulated conversions before they behave predictably.
- It is tied to Yandex Metrica, which gives more data than external analytics.
- Moderation is stricter about wording in medicine, finance and legal services.
The display network: when to enable it and how to limit it
The network gives cheap clicks and plenty of impressions, but its traffic quality fluctuates the most. Enable it after the search campaign is working and you know what a normal cost per request looks like.
- Separate campaign, separate budget, separate evaluation.
- Block placements that produce clicks without requests — the list gets topped up weekly.
- Exclude mobile apps: accidental taps come from there often.
- Retargeting in the network is usually more effective than reach campaigns.
- Images are mandatory: without them a network ad barely works.
How to control the cost per request
- Split the campaignsBy line of service. Aggregate statistics across everything tell you nothing.
- Set a reference pointThe maximum cost per request at which the channel remains profitable.
- Look at groupsWithin one campaign, one group can drag the average down and another up.
- Turn things off slowlyNot after one bad week: you need at least 30–50 clicks on a group.
- RedistributeFreed-up budget goes to the groups with the better cost per request.
A common mistake is judging by cost per click instead of cost per request. A group with expensive clicks can produce the cheapest clients, because the intent there is precise.
Frequent questions
Which do we launch first — Direct or Google Ads?
In Russia and parts of the CIS, usually Direct: there is more search audience there. In Uzbekistan Google is more often the effective choice. If the budget allows, both — but accounted for separately.
Why are there clicks but no requests?
Three usual causes: irrelevant queries with no negative keywords, ads pointing at a general page instead of a specific one, or a site that does not convince. Check in that order.
Do we need Metrica?
Yes. Without it you cannot see what happens after the click, and you cannot pass goals to Direct for optimisation.
Are automated strategies worth using?
Once enough conversions have accumulated, yes — they often outperform manual management. At the start, with no data, they spend budget on learning.
What matters more — ad position or cost per click?
Cost per request. A high position brings more clicks but not always more requests. Judge by the outcome, not by where the ad sits.
How quickly does the system settle down?
Usually 2–4 weeks: statistics accumulate, queries get cleaned up and dead weight is turned off. The first days are a learning period and it is too early to judge by them.
The materials answer general questions. We will look at your specific case — free and without obligation.