Did MSN drop Looksmart?

No looksmart "web directory" results showing..

[cheater copperpot]

MSN isnt showing the looksmart "directory results" right now as the default search results. They have overture and then go right into "web pages" which looks like to me a mix of inktomi and google?!? Im confused, anyone know whats going on? I am used to decent traffic form looksmart/MSN..

[caine]

cheater,

you were definetly on to something, since your original post, in which i replied that i could see the LS partner listings, i have been watching the MSN serps, and they have been switching to include and exclude the LS listings, very bizarre.

Whether a glitch with the system or something up MSN's sleeve, not sure.

[jimbeetle]

Hmmm. That must explain the spike in MSN traffic we got in the past few days. Much of our traffic normally comes from the 'web pages' results but saw about a 15% increase the past week.

Have noticed that during normal times what is returned depends on the competiveness of the keywords. Highly competitive keywords return results from all of the categories: featured sites, sponsored sites, web directory sites, web pages. Less competitve terms go straight to web directory sites or even web page results (where we pick up most of our MSN traffic).

[jlara]

My Inktomi traffic was almost doubled only only Feb 4th. This glitch is a very good explanation.

[wooden]

My Inktomi traffic was almost doubled only only Feb 4th.

. . . which now is to Yahoo!'s benefit. Oh what a tangled Web they weave . . .

[startup]

May I suggest a reason for the oddity.
<-- the following is only a theory and it's origin is not mine --->
MSN has a contract with Ink to provide a certain number of clicks in a given period of time. What you are seeing is MSN "catching up".
A I said, only a theory and you can called me a nut if you want to :).

[wooden]

Wouldn't surprise me a bit, startup. Makes perfect sense.