A revved-up version of the Shopping API Yahoo made available today on its Developer Network offers commercial clients product search, price comparison, ratings & reviews, and shopping browsing too.
Only a limited number of beta testers can join Yahoo’s debut of the Shopping Paid Syndication program. A post in Yahoo’s Search Blog today described how the commercial version of shopping syndication would work for its partners in the beta test:
The program…is similar to an affiliate model in that it enables websites to share in income generated from providing shopping search and other services powered by Yahoo! Shopping on their sites.
During this initial beta phase, we’re accepting a small number of applicants with special consideration given to sites with high traffic volume and fresh, unique content….In the meantime, anyone can use our shopping APIs on a non-commercial basis.
Yahoo highlights Family.com as one of its first paid syndication partners. At press time, a search for iPod as shown in a screenshot on the blog returned results from Yahoo Shopping with the option to compare prices for several types of iPods. Those results were bordered top and bottom by boxes containing sponsored links delivered from Yahoo’s Overture unit.
Once Yahoo opens the affiliate-like syndication program more widely, other sites will be able to utilize the development tools and APIs provided by Yahoo to build that type of revenue stream. As with other developer efforts, Yahoo supports Paid Syndication through its Developer Network and by a Shopping Web Services dedicated mailing list.
This type of syndication is just one of many options available or developing for publishers. Let us know what you think of Yahoo’s concept at SyndicationPro.
—
Tag: | document.write(“Email Murdok here.”)
Drag this 
Add to document.write(“Del.icio.us”) | DiggThis | Yahoo! My Web
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
