Looksmart UK and Espotting

Directory listings mixed with PPC

[makemetop]

LS UK has just started to mix Espotting PPC links in to their main directory. No, I'm not talking about the sponsored links at the top of the LS UK results - I'm referring to Espotting Titles and Descriptions being thrown into the LS UK algo and being mixed in with LookListings and standard directory listings.

This means that you can appear in LS UK with an Espotting affiliate link for search phrases you have not chosen with Espotting. See this example [looksmart.co.uk]. Every listing on the first page (bar 1 LookListing) is an Espotting affiliate link! You can see the same thing on loads of other searches. Espotting PPC results filling the SERPS under the 'Selected Sites from LookSmart' heading!

These results are also now showing on NTL and BTOpenWorld. So, now not only have the LS UK results become less relevant after their recent readjustment but we have to pay for the priviledge. IMHO - this stinks :(

[IanTurner]

I would think that if they are using the espotting listing for phrases that you haven't chosen in espotting then you could have cause for complaint with espotting.

I would take it up with them and see what they say - let us know as this could affect many of the members here.

(edited by: IanTurner at 12:06 pm (utc) on April 6, 2002)

[rpking]

Just add it to the other LookSmart scandal...

[webmasterworld.com ]

[makemetop]

I intend to take this up with both LS and Espotting next week. But two other things come into play:

a) From tests where I both pay for an Espotting phrase and it appears in their title or description and where I have paid for a LS UK directory listing, the Espotting listing appears in the LS listings as an affiltiate link above the standard LS directory listing. This means that I have the double indignity of having my £149.00 listing appear on LookSmart below the affiliate PPC link in the LS selected sites section.

b) Your Espotting title and description are crucial in getting ranked under search terms in the new LS algo. For example, you may have bid on 'blue widgets' on Espotting but not on 'widget manufacturers' as it is too general. However if your Espotting title or description includes the words 'widget' and 'manufacturers' up you will come in the main listings on LS UK.

Thanks for the link rpking - yes this appears to be the UK version of the same scheme.

Any pretence of LS being seen as a directory serving results which are relevant has now completely disappeared if there is some way they can earn money from any other form of click-through.

The joke listings which appeared previously with their LookListings was bad enough - this is very, very tacky!

[markd]

Excellent find Makemetop.

Yet another complication which, as far as I can see, have been slipped under the door without a detailed announcement from either party.

Back to revision No.33333 for helping a client plan a comprehensive campaign....