LookSmart launches new paid inclusion program

June 26 2001, updated June 29 and July 9.

LookSmart has redesigned its paid inclusion program, introducing "LookListings", a combination of paid inclusion and paid ranking.

2000 and 2001 have seen the birth of a large array of paid inclusion programs, making it possible for webmasters to buy their way into search directories (Yahoo!, LookSmart) and search engines (Inktomi, Fast, AltaVista).

Apart from LookSmart, all of them offer free submit options, but by paying a fee, you will normally get faster and more efficient services.

"Paid inclusion" is not the same as "paid ranking" or "pay-per-click results". Paid inclusion programs will (hopefully) get your site or webpage listed in the search directory catalogue or search engine index, but the ranking is decided by the search site's own algorithm. You cannot buy your way to the top.

Pay-per-click search engines like GoTo and FindWhat are based on the auction principle. The one that pays the most for a specific keyword phrase or query, get the top ranking, meaning more visitors and, presumably, more customers.

As more and more "normal" search engines are including results from GoTo and FindWhat in their listings, paid ranking is slowly becoming one of the most important forms of advertising on the Net.

So far the search directory LookSmart, which also provides directory data to AltaVista, Excite and iWon, has had two forms of paid inclusion.

One is a regular submission program (Express Submit) where webmasters pay a fee to get their site (or subsection of a site) considered for inclusion in the directory.

However, the directory is edited by human beings, and there is no guarantee that your site will be listed.

If you want to get more than five listings for your site, you can go for the more expensive "Subsite Listings" program, which are based on a per-clickthrough pricing, but which does not entail better ranking.

"Subsite Listings" will now be included in the new "LookListings" program, which allegedly combines "paid inclusion" with "paid ranking".

"Featured Listings" will presumably enable businesses to guarantee the placement of their listings in the top three positions on the page. At the same time "Directory Listings" and "Index Listings" will put links into the LookSmart directory as well as the Inktomi search index, enabling hundreds or thousands of a company's products and services to show up in the main body of search results on many of the top portals and ISPs.

"We believe most businesses will use paid prominence and paid inclusion in concert," says Dakota Sullivan, vice president of marketing for LookSmart.

"For example, a large retailer can use Directory and Index Listings to drive qualified leads to thousands of product-level pages, while with Featured Listings they can select a smaller number of links to special promotions, high-level categories, and home pages to receive top-of-page prominence."

To meet the traffic and visibility needs of large businesses, LookSmart has also announced that LookListings will be distributed via the LookSmart network of portals, ISPs and media sites including MSN, Excite, AltaVista, iWon, Netscape Netcenter, Time Warner, Prodigy, Juno, Qwest, Go2Net, and Mamma.com -- in addition to the Inktomi distribution network, which includes many other top portals (HotBot and AOL).

It is unclear how LookSmart can guarantee a top three listing on sites like MSN, Excite, iWon, and Netscape, as these offer other pay-per-click services at the moment.

Moreover, Netscape and AOL are using the Open Directory, not the LookSmart catalogue (although you may search LookSmart by using a pull down menu at Netscape's Netcenter).

According to a participant in the Webmaster World forum, there is no deal between LookSmart and MSN on showing so-called "featured listings" (i.e. pay-per-click listings) on the MSN portal.

The Webmaster World source says that bid amounts will vary depending on keywords, and that the minimum charge for taking part in the program will be $2500 per month.

LookSmart has now added a separate information page for LookListings (at the same time as the site has been given a new look). The information page doesn't tell you much, though. LookSmart adds that LookListings will get your company into search results on MSN, Excite, AltaVista, iWon, Time Warner, Prodigy, Juno, Netscape, Qwest, Go2Net, Mamma.com, plus Inktomi and their entire network.

LookListings
LookSmart Press Release
LookSmart home page
Shootout Brewing Between Paid Search Engines (Advertising Report)
Fast offers pay for inclusion program
AltaVista offers paid Express Inclusion Plan
The future of Excite and Inktomi
Webmaster World discussion

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