Looksmart changes system from pay-per-list to pay-per-click

[Jeff]

Not sure what to think, but it appears being listed may be getting more expensive ($.15 per click), though for some it might be a better value too. What do you think - is pay per click better than pay per review/list?

Because LookSmart is no longer offering the Submit and Site Promote products, all previous customers of our Submit and Site Promote products have been automatically upgraded to Small Business Listings.

Previous customers are being given a special offer that will credit their account with $300 worth of clicks, a value equal to or greater than the amount they originally paid to submit their listing. Previous customers who chose not to accept this special offer and do not activate their accounts by July 11, 2002 will cease to receive traffic from the LookSmart Network of partners.

Previous customers may also chose to cancel their listings altogether. Please be aware that canceled Small Business listings will cease to receive traffic from the LookSmart Network and will not appear in the directory or search results.

[dank]

Until Google sells out (not that there's any indication they will), I think the whole lot of alternative search engines should pretty much be disregarded... As Rich has been saying for a long time now, the key to surviving online is to generate some source of income from what was previously given away freely. Well, the SE's have mutated from a public library into some juxtaposition of a classified ad and a carnival. How many people do you suppose would pay to visit a noisy library?

Dan

[Jeff]

I look at this in a few different ways, and haven't decided what to think yet:

1.) The site I paid to list with LookSmart was not my own, but a client's. On one hand I'm a little disappointed since we paid $200 ten months ago for a "permanent" spot once it had been reviewed (though we knew this was not guaranteed) and now we either have to fork over a credit card number or lose the spot we paid for.

2.) On the other hand, the description we got wasn't great (and it's $50 more to submit a revised description) so maybe the pay per click will cost less on a yearly basis, though of course before we didn't think of it as a yearly basis :(

3.) Since I have a small directory of my own, wouldn't it be great if all the companies currently listed for free get used to paying $.15 a click. Hello FutureQuest Dedicated server(s) :)

[dank]

Since I have a small directory of my own, wouldn't it be great if all the companies currently listed for free get used to paying $.15 a click.
:)

I haven't pushed the optional 'pay' portion of my listings, but I've gotten the impression very few people are interested in such things unless there are no other promotional routes open. That's one area where it apparently doesn't pay to be a trend setter.

Dan

[Tatu]

Originally posted by dank:
Until Google sells out (not that there's any indication they will)

Get with the program, Oprah. :) Google is already partially pay-per-click (exactly what LookSmart morphed into):

http://www.revenews.com/archives/00000170.html


The article was shortened for the archives so it leaves out how Google is really advancing on GoTo/Overture's turf with a list of very impressive features. Definitely threatening to Overture's search distribution (through which 95% of their searches are made).

Google has now been dragged to court for patent infringement. BTW, if Overture wins, the patent infringement suit pretty much spells out instant doom (cease and desist or licensing fees?) for the PPC engines such as Findwhat, Kanoodle, and friends.

[dank]

Say it ain't so! :(

Dan

[Tatu]

:( Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

On the bright side, it isn't really bad news. The sponsored results are separated into colored boxes and marked as sponsored.

I'd look at sponsored text ads over flashing banners and popping pop-ups any day. ;)

[dank]

The sponsored results are separated into colored boxes and marked as sponsored.
As long as it stays that way, no big deal (and nothing new), but it sounded from some of those comments like they're planning on taking it further. Hard to tell, though.

Dan