What we do on Yandex

What does managing advertising and visibility on Yandex involve?

Yandex is a search engine serving Russian-speaking users, with an ecosystem built around it. Yandex Direct on the advertising side, Yandex Metrica for measurement, Yandex Webmaster on the organic side and Wordstat for keyword research are the core tools of this ecosystem. Maps and business listings are also part of local visibility.

We use these tools within a single plan: campaigns in Direct learn from Metrica's goals, findings in Webmaster fix landing pages, and Wordstat feeds the keyword list for both advertising and content. We cover market and regulatory checks, Russian word structure and localisation in detail on our Yandex Ads service page; this page focuses on the platform's tools.

Which Yandex Direct campaign type do we choose, and when?

In Yandex Direct, the campaign type is chosen according to whether the ad will appear in search results or on sites in the Advertising Network, and according to which data will be used. Yandex has recently been bringing its campaign types together into a more automated, unified structure; because the names and settings of these types can change over time, we work from the current state of the interface on every project.

On most projects we start with search ads and make room for automated and unified campaigns as enough conversions build up in Metrica. We use the Advertising Network not for uncontrolled reach, but for retargeting and for audiences with specific interests.

How are bids and budgets managed in Yandex Direct?

In Yandex Direct, bidding is a choice between manual control and automated strategies. Automated strategies learn from Metrica goals and usually distribute the budget within a weekly framework; some strategies also offer the option of paying per conversion rather than per click. Because the conditions for these options can change over time, we check the current rules in every account.

In a new account, while conversion data is scarce, we keep tighter control and expand negative keywords by reading query reports frequently. We also set region, time and device adjustments according to the target country's time zone and the user's moment of decision; a schedule built on Turkish time can miss the hours when Russian-speaking users are active.

Ad assets and business information

Alongside the headline and text, Yandex search ads can be enriched with assets such as quick links, short descriptions, an image and contact details. These assets increase the space the ad takes up on the results page and take the user straight to the relevant page. We keep business information such as address, phone number and opening hours consistent with Yandex's business and map listings; in areas popular with Russian-speaking tourists, these listings can become especially important.

In which countries do we put Yandex at the centre of the plan?

We put Yandex at the centre of the plan in markets where it genuinely dominates the target audience's search habits. Russia is the clearest example; in other Russian-speaking countries, the balance between Google and Yandex varies from country to country and over time. That is why we never assume Yandex is the default single channel in any country.

When deciding, we look at current search engine usage in the target country, at which engines send traffic according to your site's existing analytics data, and at where competitors advertise. In most cases, planning Yandex and Google together with the same Russian keyword list gives the soundest result; we describe the Google side on our Google page.

How is Yandex used in health tourism?

In health tourism, Yandex can be one of the first places where Russian-speaking patients research treatments, clinics and cities. These patients have a long decision process: they compare prices and treatment options, look for information about doctors and clinics, and often prefer to get in touch through messaging apps.

• Documents and compliance: The health tourism authorisation certificate and related permits in Türkiye must be settled before the advertising plan.
• Platform rules: Yandex may require additional conditions for medical service ads, such as a licence document or a warning notice; because these conditions can vary by country and service, they are checked separately for every campaign.
• Content limits: No claims that promise treatment outcomes, rely on before-and-after comparisons or lack a doctor's approval.
• Contact flow: Having a Russian-speaking coordinator handle form, phone and messaging enquiries directly affects how productive the advertising is.

Because many of these patients choose to call or write through a messaging app rather than fill in a form, we measure those clicks as separate goals in Metrica. Setting out practical information such as the treatment process, accommodation and transfers clearly on the Russian-language landing page also improves the quality of incoming enquiries.

We describe our general approach to health tourism on our health tourism expertise page. On the Yandex side, we apply the same principles, adapted to Russian search behaviour and the platform's rules.

How does Yandex Metrica feed the campaign?

Yandex Metrica defines the goals that automated bid strategies in Direct learn from. When goals such as form submissions, phone clicks, moving to a messaging app or bookings are not set up correctly, the campaign starts spending budget on the wrong users.

We use Metrica's segments for retargeting lists and its session recording tool, Webvisor, to see problems on landing pages. We keep the settings that mask personal data in session recordings switched on, and configure cookie consent and data processing in line with KVKK, Türkiye's data protection law, and the rules of the target market.

How are Yandex Webmaster and organic visibility managed?

Yandex Webmaster is a free tool that shows how a site is crawled on Yandex, which pages are in the index and which queries it appears for. Sitemap submission, crawl errors, security warnings and the region the site is associated with are all managed from this dashboard.

• Russian-language pages: Separate pages written in the search language of Russian-speaking users, rather than automatic translation.
• Language and region structure: Using hreflang tags and language folders so that the Russian version is shown to the right users.
• IndexNow: Notifying new and updated pages quickly through this protocol, which Yandex also supports.
• User behaviour: Page speed and clarity of content, since Yandex is known to pay attention to signals from users who leave a page dissatisfied.

Yandex has also started showing AI-assisted answers in its search results. As on Google, the way to become a source in these answers runs through clear, trustworthy and well-structured content; we describe our general method for organic work on our SEO service page.

What should be discussed before opening a Yandex account?

Before opening a Yandex account, it must be clear in whose name the ad account will be opened, how spending will be paid and where data from forms will be processed. Because international sanctions, payment methods and local advertising regulations can change over time, these questions are reassessed on every project against the conditions of the day.

The information on this page is a general framework; where anything is uncertain, we seek clarity together with your legal adviser before launching the campaign. The brand's reputation in its other markets is also part of this assessment.

What are the most common mistakes on Yandex?

• Opening an account and launching campaigns without checking market, payment and regulatory conditions.
• Putting a Turkish keyword list live after machine-translating it into Russian.
• Choosing an automated bid strategy without setting up Metrica goals.
• Leaving most of the budget on the Advertising Network without ever reviewing its placements.
• Sending traffic to a Turkish or English page instead of a Russian-language landing page.
• Launching a campaign without a team able to handle enquiries in Russian.