Japanese Search Engines

I am researching the Japanese Search Market

[Munster]

Can Anyone give me or point me in the right direction for information on the Japanese search engines and directories?

I am looking for;

a list of the major search engines and directories

Market shares

The relationships (which search engines provide results for other search sites)

and Submission costs.

Can anyone help?

Munst

[bill]

There is a lot of information in these forums that you can use to help answer your questions.

a list of the major search engines and directories

Here are a few threads I found using a site search (in no particular order):

• Trends in Japanese search engines/Directories [webmasterworld.com]
  
• Japanese Search Engine Importance [webmasterworld.com]
  
• Major search engines in Japan [webmasterworld.com]
  
• Japanese search engine usage Feb-March 2003 [webmasterworld.com]

We are working on a summary of regional search engines, including Japan, but the list isn't ready yet. I haven't done an update on my list of Japanese SEs in a while as any traffic of consequence today comes from either Yahoo, Google or MSN. The Japanese search market has become a bit dull in that respect.

[Munster]

Can anyone gine me the submission costs for

Yahoo
infoseek

and any other major SE/Directories in Japan?

Munst

[bill]

Yahoo Japan directory:

¥157,500 For sites with the following content: adult, food, entertainment, health food, health information, skin care, hair tonic, baldness cures, aging remedies, gambling, esthetic salon, makeup, dating

¥52,500 For all other sites.

This is a one time charge for consideration in the directory and is non-refundable.

---

Link requests to be included in the infoseek directory are still free it seems. However they note that they're not adding many sites recently. They show 3 AdWords ads at the top of every directory category, so you'd probably get better performance there than waiting for a listing.

[Munster]

Thanks for your help Bill

[whats up skip]

Recent experience with Yahoo! Japan has shown that it now rarely worth making a submission to their directory.

They often put you in category that is not particularly helpful. Now there are many PPC ads above the directory listings so the value of the directory listing is not what it was a year or so ago.

[bill]

I have some Yahoo directory listings that have been pulling steady traffic for years. I guess it really does depend on the categories that you are listed in. The more competitive categories could see your listing buried, but incorrect categories could be a real problem. Yahoo does give you opportunity to dispute their listing choices though. You really need to stay on top of new listings in terms of category placement.

I was somewhat surprised to see all of the topics which now cost ¥157,500. Previously it was limited to only adult areas if I recall correctly. All of these new categories being added to the higher tier must show that a lot of companies in these areas have been applying for Yahoo directory listings. The stricter listing guidelines also show that the Japanese SEOs are pushing Yahoo listings as an important part of their strategies.