Overture on Fast (AlltheWeb)

Is this new?

[dvduval]

I don't recall seeing Overture on Fast and I haven't seen any posts about this. Is this new?

Overture is also on Lycos!

[backus]

I'm not seeing Overture on fast...

<added>Maybe I should turn off the offensive content filter!</added> :)

[dvduval]

I'm seeing Overture in the top 3 results as "SPONSORED SEARCH LISTINGS".

[chris_f]

I'm not seeing GOverture.

Nice redesign thou.

[agerhart]

I am seeing Overture....I'll get a screen shot if you would like me to.

[angiolo]

You are right!

From Italy I should get to Fast using Anonymizer to view the sponsored listings!

[chris_f]

What search are you using???

_{Maybe I should turn off the offensive content filter!}

Very Good! ;)

[chris_f]

I'm using the same criteria but I still don't see Overture like the screenshot. What country are you in?

[agerhart]

USA

[dvduval]

I'm in the US and they are showing for every search I've tried.

[chris_f]

I'm in the UK. It looks like they are only showing it on US IP Addresses for the US version of GOverture. They will probably show the UK GOverture results for UK IP Addresses shortly.

[backus]

Mate, I did the same search, and the sponsored listing don't appear, and that's from Prague, CZ. I reckon that fast doesn't want to offend too many people, so decided to aim the listings at the countries from where they came.

[chris_f]

Bad News!

Let's hope Lycos doesn't follow suit.

[chris_f]

Or even that it's temporary

[heini]

Click on : SPONSORED SEARCH LISTINGS. MORE

Is that the complete Overture catalog?

[msgraph]

No Overture from here. However, I do see two of the same doubleclick ads on results pages.

[dvduval]

It's on Lycos, too!

[chris_f]

Confirmed.

GOverture in full.

[backus]

Yep, but they are trying to hide it from non-us customers on Alltheweb. Why is that? Will they use UK Overture for UK customers?

[chris_f]

Interesting.

Lycos UK shows Espotting
Lycos US shows GOveture

_{is there a short hand for GOverture???
and I don't mean Overture as a short hand}

[chris_f]

Backus,

That's what I suspected above.

[heini]

Lycos has had PPC partners all the time.
Alltheweb had an occasional start here from Kanoodle before.

[zeus]

I realy think that the Overture listings on different search engines is a bad move from S.E.

1. The search become more difficult to overview what listings are placed where.

2. All search engines give the same results

3. Its a sign that the companies behind the S.E is not having a good time, financely.

4. The small or personal web site does not have the same options as the big companies.

zeus

[heini]

>Fast Falling from grace
well not exactly.
This will have no consequences at all for any of FASTs outlets with the exception of Alltheweb. For all of FASTs partners have their own PPC/PFI schemes. It's FASTs strategy to remain in the background, not competing with their partners. It's kind of opposite to what Google is doing.

FAST is NOT A SEARCHENGINE!

Fast is a provider of search technology and, to a lesser degree, a provider of websearch results.

The Overture deal is exclusively with Alltheweb.

Alltheweb is nothing but FASTs showcase. It's aimed more to impress business executives than joe surfer.

This, however was true to this day.
Speculation is opened, if this strategy has just been changed.

Is this move just an attempt to reimburse the costs of maintainig this showcase?
Or does FAST finally come around to start a search destination, competing openly with Google?

[Napoleon]

Sorry Heini... I know how much you like FAST.. but it's a SELL OUT pure and simple.

Their showcase? Well great showcase now... showing off someone elses returns above their own!!! Yeh... let's all go and buy their technology... they're so keen to promote it they hide it in second spot! See the problem?

I think you have to face it - they seem determined to follow the path set by AV, HB and other once leading search providers.

No - I get no pleasure from this. A sort mixture of disappointment, anger and a hope that they do badly from here on in (sorry!).

A very sad day (as if it's not been bad enough for me!).

[heini]

Napoleon
I do not like this move at all.
I just try to understand what's going on.

As to diminiuishing relevance etc of serps: 99% of Fast results appear on their partners sites, mainly the Lycos sites.
Fast will deliver exactly the same results as before to those partners, which, as I said before, all have their own deals with either Overture or Espotting.

The question just is: what the heck is going on here? Why does Alltheweb not only display some Overture listings, but the whole catalog?

I'm not an Overture expert: does any other Overture partner have this geature, showing the complete catalog?

[angiolo]

Don't worry Napoleon!
Saint Elena island is still there...

If you were a search engine company what would you do?
It's so easy to gain something just adding three PPC results.

This is were the net is going and I do not see how we can change this move.

For several companies web marketing costs are still lower than classical marketing media.

[caine]

still not seeing overture results in the UK.

[sparrow]

I don't see what you are seeing.
When I pull our site using our keyword phrase I see the 3 Overture listings and then below I see web page listings that look that they are from Fast.

Where is the complete Oveture catalog?

[angiolo]

> Where is the complete Oveture catalog?

On the Top, before the three listings:

SPONSORED SEARCH LISTINGS MORE »

Click on more: you will find all Overture listings for the searched terms (till 0,01 included).

Caine, see my above post:

Try to use

http://www.anonymizer.com/

On the left side (free anonymous websurfing) write the alltheweb.com address.

Now you can navigate like an US searcher..