phyllishk - 4:39 am on Jun 21, 2005 (gmt 0)

Allow me (a new member here) to speak up from the view point of a owner of some PTR sites who newly established a search site (using XML feeds from your so-called 2nd or 3rd tier- search engines).
There is no way for we, small sites to attract advertisers so we rely on XML feeds). I do advertise my sites in my own PTR or other PTR sites. It is true that we tend to tell our members that they are not required to make a search, but everybody know the rule of the game. If they do not support our advettisers, they would not come back.
<b>Does this bring lot of blind click?</b>
(( Yes, they know the rule of the game. They know they are expected to make a search. They normally do not make one. Reason: Have you heard of the story that in a remote temple, there was 2 monks. They took turns to go to river to bring water for their livelihood whenever the water tank in the temple was empty. One day a group of visiting monks came to them. The 2 monks who lived there for long time felt very happy that from now on, there was no need to go to river everyday because there were lot of people to share the job. The truth was after a few day they woke up and found the tanks empty. There were so many of them thus no one took the trouble to bring in water. All assumed the others would do their duty. ))
<b>What they like to search for</b>
Read on if you are interested for this a bit clumsy report. At the first week of opeation of my search site, I just let the category and keywords as the script set up (like most search site) as it was and started advertising the site, little valid click through turned up.
I tried to think what might my PTR members or others (my targeted audience at other PTR sites) like to find out: I added women's health category with keywords like pap test, mammograph, diet and fitness, postmenopausal women, eating disorder etc. The result, the valid click through rate increased a great deal.
Conclusion: they are not blind clickers. They (nearly half) do use the search sites (though limited to the time set by the browser, i.e. you bought their attention for 20 seconds using 1/2 cent) to look for items/merchandise they interested in.
<u>Do not prejudice against PTR or PTC members</u> They are computer literate people. Most of them having e-curency account, paypal, egold, e-bullion etc. Most of them have on-line shopping experience. It is easily to sell them something in the web than my sister who never try on-line shopping before. Some are participating in some affiliate programmes or home-based business, or are ready to try to do some small business, or to explore further in e-commerece etc. They are more entrepreneual than average man or woman.
<><> It is my sincere wish to see Advertisers with a clear understanding of the users (PTR membrs) of the 2nd tier, or 3rd tier PPC Search Engines and start bigger and wider campaign there <><>