LookSmart VS. Overture

Whats the deal now....

[jesd]

This is my first question here, so maybe it has already been asked....

I have used OV for a year or so, and it used to be listed through MSN. Then I had to use LookSmart.

#1, how the heck does LookSmart place your ads / rank your ads when there is no bidding? First come first serve?

#2, is OV now the provider for MSN again (after Jan 1 04)?

[redlion]

Jesd

Until recently, MSN used a combination of Overture and LookSmart.

They dumped LookSmart this month and went Overture only (and resigned with them in UK and US).

The rest of the results are Inktomi - until MSN's owen crawler is ready to show results; expected to be mid next year.

Edited by Redlion:
I should have said, above is UK only at moment.

[edited by: redlion at 4:03 pm (utc) on Oct. 30, 2003]

[seth_wilde]

Currently in the US MSN displays Overture, Looksmart & Inktomi results.

When Overture results are diplayed they are shown on top, but they are only shown for some searches (I think it's somewhere around 30k phrases they're used for)

Looksmart will be replaced at the end of the year, but they are still currently being listed under "Web Directory Sites" (in the US). MSN runs their own algo over Looksmarts database to rank the listings (The title/description that looksmart gives you plays a major role).

Inktomi results are currently displayed last ("Web Pages"), Although they should be getting a promotion in Jan..

[jesd]

THANKS!