Yahoo in online ad alliance with Google

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Yahoo on Wednesday announced an advertising alliance with Google, the company that dethroned the pioneering Internet firm in the world of Internet search.

Google will use its online ad targeting skills at some Yahoo properties, stepping in to put relevant marketing messages in available spaces, according to Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo.

Yahoo gave the example of someone online shopping for boots being shown an ad for something completely unrelated because no advertisements for footwear were available in inventory.

"If you see an ad for boots, that's instantly going to pique your attention more than an ad for, say, a car battery," Yahoo said. "That's better for users. This is why contextual advertising is such a powerful tool."