LookSmart - no fees for LookListings

Too little too late?

[coconutz]

Saw these notes when reviewing our account today.

Effective December 11, 2003, LookSmart will no longer charge fees to create new listings, add keywords, or update titles and descriptions.

Keyword targeting for LookListings campaigns. The ability to target customers with keywords (formerly available in Sponsored Listings) has been integrated into LookListings.

[pageoneresults]

Hmmm, I wonder what LookSmart is going to do. Do you think they'll try to get into the search space and compete? Or will they just fade away and go bust?

I've been shutting down campaigns over the past couple of weeks in preparation for the MSN loss. That was the only reason why we promoted LS.

[rise2it]

I really hate the fact that MSN is STILL linking to Looksmart for sales, knowing that they are dumping them in two weeks.

It's a shame unsuspecting webmasters will get shafted.

[tennismaster]

Anyone know what will happen to the looksmart listings in
the inktomi database?

Will these disappear when MSN drops them?

I still see looksmart redirects urls in pure search
at the moment.

TM

[jimbeetle]

Do you think they'll try to get into the search space and compete? Or will they just fade away and go bust?

I think LS is going to try to compete -- somewhat. It did announce its full-text article search [webmasterworld.com] last month and did redesign the site from an advertiser-oriented sell page to user-oriented search page.

Might be the first baby steps as a return to a branded search portal -- albeit 2nd or 3rd tier -- instead of results provider or, just a way to sell whatever inventory is on the shelf through whatever channel it can.

[jpalmer]

Greetings and Gidday from downunder folks,

1. Looksmart spider is visiting (indexing?) my primary site almost daily

2. Findarticles.com powered by Looksmart is brilliant.

3. In a recent interview (see [webmasterworld.com...] for some links), Evan Thornley commented to the effect that losing MSN feed was no biggie for LS strategy wise.

AS someone ready to put LS in the big round file along with the likes of excite, infoseek, etc., a few months ago, I'm now wondering what Evan and Co. are going to pull out of the dilly bag next.

Don't write 'em off just yet folks!

Cheers, Hooroo, Peace and Prosperity for 2004
JP