How does LookSmart rank their reviewed sites?

[tedster]

Does anyone have a handle on how LookSmart ranks their reviewed sites in their keyword search?

I have a client who paid for LookSmart review two months ago and was promptly added. To our delight, they are listed number one on the obvious single keyword search. A nice flood of traffic and sales has followed -- LookSmart has a very large reach, given all the sites that use their data.

I thought the number one spot might a sort of "honeymoon" thing, since it places this modest site above some really big, heavy hitters. I cautioned my client about not getting expecting it to last, but to make the most of it while it's here. It's now 6 weeks later and still rolling.

I'm wondering what factors might have lead to the good fortune, and what I need to avoid, if anything, not to jeopardize the position.

[rcjordan]

Tedster, I just happened to see a post where an LS site owner was lamenting that they had gone from #1 to #4 or so. Some competitive sites had been added.

update:
Nope, my error -the site was in ODP, not LS. Sorry.

[tedster]

The more I sink into LookSamrt, the more I am impressed. Of course, I'm easily impressed by any one who puts my client at the top of the page.

But seriously, the editor's descrips are reasonable, and whatever they are using for a ranking algo in their keyword search, the results seem good -- certainly more useful than doing an ODP search.

Also LS data really gets around -- lately I have seen some growing traffic from the new AV directory, which is LS.

I can't figure out the order of the sites in that AV directory at all. And even beyond the order of sites, look at this page [looksmart.altavista.com]. If you see what I see, AV has a very strange idea about the order of the alphabet!

[mnw]

How can you tell the difference between AV directory and regular AV traffic?

[tedster]

>>How can you tell the difference between AV directory and regular AV traffic?<<

For a directory clickthrough, the referring domain is looksmart.altavista.com. Also, there is no search term.

[Brett_Tabke]

From limited experience with Looksmart and what I've read, LS gives a slight boost to newer sites for 60 days.

[Robert]

I noticed when MSN first took LookSmart, they still offered to accept "personal" sites and retained their old style submission through MSN-UK. Now the "personal" offer has vanished leaving only government approved non-profit listing available free and the MSN-UK won't accept submissions, saying your e-mail address is misconfigured. I've come to believe none of the MSN free methods of submission were ever anything more then fakes to shunt aside sites that shouldn't have to pay to be listed, as if anyone should have to pay to provide free content to MSN. RP

[mark roach]

A couple of months back I had 5 commercial sites listed in Looksmart UK. At the time I had no idea how they got there, but I now think that I submitted them through MSN UK. It is a bit frustrating to now find that this route into LS has now been closed.

[tedster]

>>From limited experience with Looksmart and what I've read, LS gives a slight boost to newer sites for 60 days.<<

Well, fingers crossed, we're now at 70 days since inclusion and still the top site. Taking in all the sites that LS feeds, this listing has added 25% to overall site traffic, and more than that to sales, so I sure hope it lasts.