How to Market to Search Engine owners?

I'm stumped

[dataguy]

Are there any suggestions for the best place or method to advertise to search engine owners? This is a very niche market segment, and I just haven't been able to come up with any good ideas.

Thanks...

[mack]

I think it all comes down to the product it's self. Can the product be marketed for example using niche directories or is the product you offer very specialized and SE specific?

Mack.

[dataguy]

It would only be useful to people who own and are trying to promote their search engine, so it is very niche. Is there a place where search engine owners congregate?

I've tried AdWords but I haven't even been able to come up with the words that would target search engine owners.

[jmccormac]

At a guess dataguy, most of the alternative search engine operators pass through here. You get everyone from serious players to wannabes.

The problem with marketing promotional services to search engines is that there is a very strong independent streak in the minds of alternative search engine operators. Most will just delete any promotional/positioning e-mail with a laugh. (I've even been offered the top position for my site on my own search engine by one newbie SEO. :) )

You've got to develop some contact with individual search engine operators before you pitch the promotion services to them. A potential Catch 22.

Regards...jmcc

[dataguy]

there is a very strong independent streak in the minds of alternative search engine operators

ahem, yes, very good point!

[zootreeves]

Hi,

As a search engine owner myself i think the best place you can promote to other operators is at google groups: alt.internet.search-engines, this forum and #*$!

[Dave_A]

Well as a search engine owner what could you offer me by way of a service I am always open to offers.
I presently get around 30,000 searches a week done by around 25,000 unique visitors.
The average search time is 1.2 seconds and the most people at any one time that were searching was 508.
I set up the search engine seven months back so I am getting quite a good rate of visitors.
If you can help me get more visitors i am always open to offers but having seen some offers from Refferal type links, it doesn't really help because we can't add referal numbers to our links outward bound.
One thing that I have noticed of late is the sheer volume of robots visiting my search site, google up to twice a day, perhaps I should poke my spider across google and see what happens next? I just wonder what they hope to find?

All the best folks
Dave A
From down in New Zealand!