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Also in the looksmart directory, 45 web directory
listings are shown. Before the Ink results.
We are listed in the Ink results at number 7 and are thus 52 in the MSN results (after the 45 web directory listings).
We never paid for looksmart (other than the initial $199 dollars) , as we were passed over when looksmart went from one time pay to PPC.
Our ranking on looksmart has stayed at #1.
I noticed that looksmart has 166 web directory listings for our keyword, but only 45 in the MSN web directory.
This is leading me to the conclusion that unpaid looksmart listings are not listed in MSN, and I am out of luck until Dec when the looksmart listings are dropped.
or maybe
MSN has dropped me for some reason. Has anybody had any luck getting relisted in the MSN web directory after being dropped for a technical glitch.
Anybody with free listings in Looksmart noticing similiar behaviour on MSN?
MSN likes to mix up their SERPS so it's no surprise if they limit directory results to an arbitrary number, then throw in Ink, or vice versa.
Also you may want to consider that Ink listings are trumped by any LS listings that are duplicates for the url.
OTOH, LS does indeed make "commercial results" deals with other sites/portals to feed them paid listings only- like the recent deal with Lycos that's due go operational sometime soon, if not already.
The Lycos deal feeds 10 commercial listings that are tied to 50,000 keywords into the mix.
But that is something that is definitely not happening over at MSN.
Perhaps many may not be aware of this, but MSN directory has started dropping tons of looksmart web directory results from its SERPs, as per my observation.
To check that out, you can go to any deep category in Looksmart and check out the same category in MSN directory via the browse mode [search.msn.com....] If there are 50 sites in a category in Looksmart, you may notice only 20 or 25 listings in MSN directory, thus clearly affecting in the SERPs. [if you want any example, sticky me]
Tons of listings are being dropped from MSN directory just before the beta testing without looksmart would take place in October.
I noticed this dropped-listings-behavior some 25 days ago and its getting worse. But as I mentioned, now there are tons of listings missing and being dropped with every update.
[Added: I am referring to MSN US [search.msn.com...]
[edited by: Imaster at 5:47 pm (utc) on Aug. 24, 2003]
If MSN US not showing the entire category it probably has more to do with the fact that not all the sites in the cat meet the algorithmic threshold for relevance.
I'm speaking from first hand experience, as I'm currently feeding reams of pages into Zeal every week and they are all popping up in MSN US.
From where I'm sitting, the MSN serps, for certain terms, are producing over a hundred results. For others, a limited set.
So I don't think that limited serps are an "across the board" phenomenom but a limitation tied perhaps to algorithmic relevance.
As far as algorithmic relevance, If im #1 for my keyword in Looksmart, you would think I would make the cut on MSN.
They have me listed in Looksmart under my .ca domain, not my .com, so I wonder if the algorthimic relevance listing is taking in consideration geographic profiling.
In which case are they picking up on the .ca, or will I need to host in the USA to avoid MSN geographic profiling.
I am showing up as #1 in MSN.CA, so I am very suspecious of geograhic profiling.
Anyways, am I correct to assume that looksmart is dead when it comes Dec 31, and the Ink results will be displayed just below the Google / Overture sponsored listings in MSN
I am now convinced that MSN is filtering looksmart directory results by Country, and it is not enough to have a .com domain, you need to be hosted in the USA, to be listed in the web directory listing for the MSN USA.
Anybody knows what happen to the class action lawsuit that was filed against looksmart for defrauding their existing PFI customers? I can
find no reference on the web except for the filing back in June of 2002.
True. Zealots are in fact instructed not to delete such unpaid commercial listings. Who gets these free listings is up to the whims of Looksmart editors.
Looks like MSN is gearing up to drop Inktomi as well and who knows once they have their own search they might not renew Looksmart at the end of this year.
who knows once they have their own search they might not renew Looksmart at the end of this year.
Is it possible to have a search engine/algorithm/data center infrastructure ready in 9 months?
My understanding was that this was going to roll out further in the future.
MSN gets a cut of those Looksmart clicks. They won't want to lose that.
MSN might also go the way of paid inclusion or express submission if by that time they have their algo ready. They don't need Looksmart.
I guess the big question is how they'll use them post-December. As the owner of several Zeal listings I hope MSN doesn't drop 'em...Zeal's a good service.
