Yahoo Looks to User Favorites As It Gets Back Into Web Vids

The NYTimes’ Brian Stelter reveals that Yahoo is getting back into Web video production with the launch of a Web show about celebrity mothers called “Spotlight to Nightlight“. It will be hosted by Miss USA-turned-Doritos girl Ali Landry.

“Spotlight to Nightlight” was a natural extension of OMG, Yahoo’s upbeat entertainment project. Sibyl Goldman, the head of entertainment for Yahoo, said the producers of the two-year-old site saw traffic spikes around stories about celebrity baby names and photos and “started programming more content” that related to the subject.

The ability to mine search queries and traffic data to better identify user interests is an advantage for companies like Yahoo, said Trip Chowdhry, a senior analyst for Global Equities Research. Besides TV and celebrity mothers, Yahoo also produces technology news videos for its finance Web site and game highlights for its sports site. While they may lack Hollywood ambition, they also lack risk for Yahoo’s bottom line, a plus for the company as it embarks on yet another reorganization.

AllFacebook Marketing Conference returns to San Francisco on June 28-29! Join us and get a how-to guide for marketing to Facebook’s 800 million users. A full agenda will be announced soon. Keep an eye on our event site for more information. Special early pricing is available for only $249 until this Wednesday, February 15, so register today.