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Leaving Web search After Testing for One Week

         

dhaliwal

5:40 am on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Today i have stopped websearch after trying it for one week.

I think they are keeping all the money with themselves and we are only getting around 3 cents a click.

And there is nothing good in loosing a visitor for such a less amount.

We have dynamic website and are already having a good internal search engine, so don't need to giveaway visitors to google for so less.

I hope more webmasters will also stop using web search.

dhaliwal

ChrisKud5

5:50 am on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I predicted this would happen when the program started.

I am sorry that your experiance with websearch was not a good one, but it just makes no senes to me why anyone would use this.

Rodney

6:19 am on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I hope more webmasters will also stop using web search.

Why is that?

If it makes money for other webmasters, why would you want them to stop using it?

Just because you are unhappy with it doesn't mean it's a bad solution for everyone.

Mauricio

7:09 am on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)



I believe there is a lot of people, like me, reading threads like this before set up web search or not: each post I read, the things are more clear and websearch will remain out of my sites.

icedowl

10:09 am on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



To each his own but, in my world, pennies still add up to dollars.

My visitors may likely have already found what they were looking for at my site, or what they were looking to find on my site simply isn't there. In either case they're eventually going to move on to another site. I figure that I may as well make google handy for them and get those pennies that I would not have likely gotten otherwise.

I've already had a couple of days where the search earnings outperformed adsense earnings. Not all search clicks are 2 or 3 cents from what I'm seeing.

alika

11:56 am on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



The Web search is a better search facility than what we had before in our site, so we use it. The fact that we did not earn anything from our internal search the few cents or dollars generated by G-web search is revenue. To us it is not really how much it can bring in in revenues but the efficient way of serving the "needs" of the visitors. So far, it's good.

seogrrl

12:11 pm on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



WebSearch seemed to fix the problem I was having with other pay per click searches. I wanted to add a pay per click type of search to my site and have the results show up on my page, but my visitors don't always search for terms that are bought so I would have alot that showed no results because the keywords were not purchased.

I wanted a mix of free listings and paid listings and I just wasn't getting that with other web search companies. The end result doesn't compare to adsense, but it does do better than the other paid search results I was receiving.

I don't think the websearch is really to be compared to adsense, but to be compared to other pay per click search engines. I know with some other pay per click search engines I was getting a half a cent per click or no results, so with that comparison I do find WebSearch better.

too much information

12:21 pm on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I was using Google's free search code on my site, mainly because the site is so large and I thought of it as a tool that I could provide to my visitors that they may use over and over.

Now with Websearch I can see how many people are using the search on my site and make a little money on the side. I can't think of a single reason not to use websearch on my site.

IanCP

12:49 pm on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



I've used it for years with no problem.

Now it's an additional revenue stream along with the regular AdSense.

I'm happy

europeforvisitors

3:09 pm on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)



Search represents considerably less than 1% of the traffic on my site. I regard it as a service to users who want it--not as a revenue stream.

I was already using Google SiteSearch, so when the AdSense version came along, I figured "Why not?" It provides me with an excellent internal/external search utility at no cost, its interface is familiar to my users (many of whom arrive via Google), and I make a few dollars in the bargain.

If I had a "search-intensive" site, I might look at other search utilities. But for the last eight years, my users have preferred navigation menus to internal search, so it makes sense for me to outsource search to Google. If I can earn a small referral fee from each search, so much the better.

annej

3:26 pm on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



'Why not' for me was that I couldn't have it search more than one domain and I have two related domains so I've gone back to free search.

I don't have enough searches to make it worth the few pennies I was getting.

The main reason I have the search on my site is to get students to use it instead of writing and asking me questions they could easily answer on their own with a search.

Articles related to my topic are what make money on my site.

beakertrail

4:26 pm on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I too will be stopping using the Google WebSearch service on my network of websites.

The reasoning is 3 fold,

1. the amount of revenue generated is significantly lower than expected despite a "good" level of visitors using the site search. EPC is about 25% that of the lowest earning channel on the network of web sites.

2. combined with the very low EPC, the Google code is too imposing on the web site, taking up a large area of the web site making it look very out of place.

3. the search results page is so bland and basic it doesn't give any option for integration of navigation or other site features.

ChrisKud5

5:40 pm on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I've used it for years with no problem.

Hmmm, the program is about 2 weeks old.

It is a OK choice for folks with nothing who want something, but nothing really beats a home made search script with adsense in it. You get regular adsense payouts and can keep the search traffic on your site.

People who do not have the time or care for another option, websearch with adsenes is fine. Pennies do add up to dollars, just more slowly than many pennies do!

europeforvisitors

6:31 pm on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)



Homemade scripts may be worthwhile on sites that receive quite a bit of search traffic. For sites that don't (like mine), any tiny increase in revenues from running AdSense ads on search results would be offet by a lower-quality user experience.

Bottom line: Different sites have different needs. Each publisher should do what works best for his or her site.

Never_again

10:43 pm on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



We have earned only US $.30 in the last 10 days. Don't think we will keep Websearch on our site much longer.

PatrickDeese

10:45 pm on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



> We have earned only US $.30 in the last 10 days. Don't think we will keep Websearch on our site much longer.

But how many people have been able to zero in on information presented on your site more quickly?

ownerrim

11:23 pm on Jun 27, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



it's true that a user will, at some point, move on to another site (minutes or even seconds after visiting a publisher's site) or go back to google. But why should we give them "encouragement" to go looking elsewhere by placing the websearch box on a page? We ALREADY DO THAT WITH ADSENSE, but the reason we do it is because there is sufficient monetary incentive (er, sometimes)to do so. Websearch doesn't seem to provide that incentive. Also, why the heck does google pay out so little for websearch clicks? Is it because they have already determined that the clicks that advertisers will get from these weird "search/content clicks" will be of low quality? If that's the case, why do websearch at all? It just dilutes the value of adsense over time.

loanuniverse

12:00 am on Jun 28, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Search represents considerably less than 1% of the traffic on my site. I regard it as a service to users who want it-

>0.5% in mine, but the CTR I am getting is amazingly high. I also see it as something for the user.

Pennies do turn into dollars as someone already mentioned.

arubicus

12:31 am on Jun 28, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



To me it is like recycling.

Google supplies us with traffic. We monitize this traffic. What ever is left a percentage gets thrown back into the pool through the searches.

A percentage of traffic not form google can and will get thrown into the pool increasing the size of the pool.

We are helping to feed the same advertisers that advertise on our sites.

If I were to send visitors back to yahoo it gets thrown back into their pool and also traffic from google. Now how would this help us? Yes our traffic could increase with the size of Yahoo's pool but you are taking traffic from advertisers on google. Where would they advertise for the traffic?

Yes there is some sort of direct incentive for the google search, but sometimes you gotta look beyond.

Even this has it's downfalls.

As far as internal searches go.. That is another story.

europeforvisitors

2:43 am on Jun 28, 2004 (gmt 0)



it's true that a user will, at some point, move on to another site (minutes or even seconds after visiting a publisher's site) or go back to google. But why should we give them "encouragement" to go looking elsewhere by placing the websearch box on a page? We ALREADY DO THAT WITH ADSENSE, but the reason we do it is because there is sufficient monetary incentive (er, sometimes)to do so.

That kind of thinking may be reasonable for an affiliate or e-commerce site, but on an information site, there's value to the publisher in being a launching pad for Web searches. The more useful the site is to visitors, the more they'll come back--and the more links the site will get from other information sites, including directories and "Best of" awards.

For what it's worth, CNN.com has a Yahoo Web and site search bar on its home page, with Web search as the default. The WASHINGTON POST and the BBC also have site/Web search on their home pages. So if those of us with Web search on our sites are making a mistake, we're in good company. :-)

dhaliwal

3:21 am on Jun 28, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Well i agree to people who have been using google's site search.

but i think the people who are having their own search tool, won't use web search.

I can tell you one thing, the industry i am in is giving me around 20 cents a click for last 6 months, and with web search, they have only paid me around 4 cents a click.
And i am not giving you data of one day, its an observation of one full week. and the clicks are not 2 or three, the clicks we made thru web search were 400.

So i lost around 400 visitors at a rate of 4 cents, no idea to use web search, please do tell me if their epc improves.

I think google is giving us a great tool, but is keeping around 80 % on the clicks, so its bad idea, while they are asking about charging fees for this service, they should not keep a great percentage of the money that a click earns.

Rest upto others, i know everyone will have different experience, but i think majority will see that google is paying way too less in web search

sorry if it hurts anyone
dhaliwal

arubicus

3:52 am on Jun 28, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I agree with EFV yet again.

All to often publishers on the web treat their websites like e-commerce sites. The roll of a publisher is much different than that e-commerce sites. Publisher are a resource of information for people. The advertising and/or affiliates they offer do not change the roll. Even if you sell the publication the roll still remains.

"So i lost around 400 visitors at a rate of 4 cents, no idea to use web search, please do tell me if their epc improves." - dhaliwal

So what? They wanted to leave your site for some reason didn't they? I guess you didn't have what they wanted or your design might have stunk in their opinion.

Be sure to remove all external links affiliates and also adsense ads if you don't want them to leave. Be sure that you prevent them from hitting the back button or moving to less profitable information on your site. Be sure to only offer information that pays well not what people are looking for. Be sure to automatically download a program that will load your page when a browser window opens.

In order for publishers to be profitable is if someone leaves their site. If you sell your own items alongside of information you need to decide if you are e-commerce or publication.

Google itself is and information site and how many millions of people leave their search engine to other sites for per day? If someone happens to click on an ad then they may make a nickle or more. But do you realize how many people leave without google making any money? How many people leave and come back?

We are just given an opportunity to share in what they have built. It is their index of advertisers. Their time energy. Their support staff. Their paid programmers. Their bandwidth. Their... Well you get the idea. I don't mind them keeping a larger percentage. If I did mind then I would create one of my own.

If you are disappointed in adsense and their way of doing things then make your own. Come up with a ppc engine and handle enough advertisers do have a good ppc search internal and external and also for advertising on your site.

ownerrim

4:04 am on Jun 28, 2004 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



yes, websearch is entirely their creature. but if it is not in the financial interests of publishers to carry the bloody thing on their sites, then it will be a creature that fails.

arubicus

4:09 am on Jun 28, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Financial interests?

Pretty subjective analysis if I do say so myself.

What kind of financial interest is there in retaining a visitor that dosen't click on an ad?

What kind of financial interest is there by letting a visitor leave the site by non paying links or even hitting the back button?

What kind of financial interest is there by letting a visitor leave the site through an affiliate link and not buy anything?

dhaliwal

10:02 am on Jun 28, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



arabicus,

get your concepts right first honey

and for your information, those persons who searched my site, were looking for some specific information on my site.

and also i must telly ou my site is ranked quite high and is having good content

and i think you need to have your financial ideas right before you start commenting on what others say.

europeforvisitors

2:10 pm on Jun 28, 2004 (gmt 0)



I think google is giving us a great tool, but is keeping around 80 % on the clicks, so its bad idea, while they are asking about charging fees for this service, they should not keep a great percentage of the money that a click earns.

They're already charging for this service in the form of a higher percentage of revenues (and understandably so, since they're providing publishers with a service and with content in the form of SERPs).

As AdSenseAdvisor and her colleagues at Google have clearly explained, the only publishers who'll pay any separate fees are those who generate abnormally low revenues from their search traffic. (And even then, the fees won't be cash out of pocket; they'll never exceed revenues from search.) If you're one of the few publishers whose search traffic is impossible to monetize, you may want to consider an alternative like the non-revenue-producing Google SiteSearch, another free search product, or a roll-your-own search solution. But if you're like most publishers, you won't have anything to worry about (or any excuse for complaining about fees).

arubicus

8:11 pm on Jun 28, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



dhaliwal

Well dear,

Which concept do you find wrong?

Do you disagree with the roll of a publisher?

Do you disagree how publishers make money?

Do you disgree with the financial interests? Financial interests is subjective. Each website's financial interests can be totally different from the next. It is personal to the owner/company. Based on their thoughts, ideas, and feelings. This concept is quite on target.

Do you disagree with the idea the someone may have left you site because they thought your site was stinky or not have the information they were looking for? I mean they did click the ad didn't they? They made a concious decision to do so based on their own thoughts didn't they? You cannot be all things to all people.

So which concept do you not agree with?

"and for your information, those persons who searched my site, were looking for some specific information on my site."

And they still made the decision to leave. At least you made some money.

If you are so worried about a visitor leaving then why show ads, external links, affiliate links, external searches... What kind of financial interest is there to if they don't leave? Hence my other questions in my previous post.

"and also i must tell you my site is ranked quite high and is having good content"

Ok. An attempt at credibility? Mine does too. I rank high (<- opinion more like top 5) for just about every article, major keyword we target, main pages, sub-pages... Spanning across many many thousands of keywords. So what. That just might mean that I am better at SEO. I may have more content. That has nothing to say about the QUALITY of our content nor visitor perception of our company brand.

dhaliwal

3:54 am on Jun 29, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



you are still not getting my idea AD

now what you tell is that the visitor would even leave my website otherwise.

Huh let me telly ou most of the people who click on search results, are been duped in a way.

Now you will ask how?

The search results display adverts on the top of results, some publishers have made their search template in such a way that the user doesn't gets what is an ad and what is the real content on the search results.

I can tell you that i have seen my click thru on search results to be around 60 %, Don't you think 60 % is a whopping figure?

I am only concerned about the payouts. and i think many people would be concerned,

and your concept is wrong that the visitors would otherwise leave my website,

i can tell you that the text ads are a bit deceiving to many users who can't distinguish between links and adverts and thats why we get more click thru, i have seen my logs and have seen that many people click on ads and then even come back to my page after they find that they are on some other site.

I would love that my visitors click on ads and i get paid, thats what every publisher would like,

But my point is that when i can get 20 cents per click on adsense, why should i leave that person for 4 cents thru web search?

I have two things different than you

I have not used web search from google before, i mean site search they used to provide earlier.

I have my own internal search engine which performs in a very good manner as far as search on my site is concerned.

SO INSTEAD OF USING WEB SEARCH I WOULD PREFER USING MY OWN SEARCH AND PUT ADSENSE ADVERTS ON TOP OF IT, i have Done it recently and have seen earnings grow by 20 %

Thats All

asinah

4:31 am on Jun 29, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



We have etsted for the past week or so the SiteSearch and also the numbers are low compared to our Adsense revenues but we do make money and some clicks earn as much as Adense ads.

CTR is higher then average but EPC is lower. We will keep the sitesearch code online.

Undead Hunter

5:08 am on Jun 29, 2004 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



dhaliwal:

Is it "legal" to put AdSense over search pages? I thought it was against the TOS?

Otherwise, yeah, it would be much smarter to do it that way. And better for your site even if you couldn't put Adsense on that page, because it might take them to another page on your site that you can monetize.

I'll have to rethink it.

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