Introduction to Search Engines - Part III
by Lynsey Willis

Paid Listings and Advertising

As website owners increasingly realize the value of search engine referred traffic, so too are search engines and directories demanding recognition of their services by charging for them. That directories and search engines are charging for their service (and that web marketers are paying for them) illustrates that this form of internet advertising delivers results.

Payment for Directory Listings

Paid listing options include paid reviews at directories such as Yahoo! and LookSmart who give a response within a set period of time. Commercial sites are not listed free of charge on either directory, and Yahoo! has broken new ground in this area in that it is now charging per year to keep websites that are in its directory listed. 

Neither directory offers a refund if a site is rejected, although if the criteria outlined on each are followed it is unlikely that a site paying for review will be refused. Once included, position depends on each directory's own ranking criteria, and careful attention should be paid to the title and description entered on the submission form.

Payment for Inclusion

Another form of paid listing is paid inclusion, which Altavista, FAST (All The Web) and Inktomi offer. 

Inktomi is not a search engine in itself but provides results to many other search engines, including AOL, MSN and HotBot. Paying for inclusion does not guarantee a good ranking. To achieve a listing amongst the top results your pages still have to be well optimized. Sites that pay for inclusion are revisited more often and a good ranking can be achieved more quickly through the opportunity to analyze position and re-optimize on a regular basis. 

Payment for Placement

Paid placement is also widely used, with the most popular operator of this being Overture (formerly GoTo).

Advertisers bid on search terms and the highest bidder appears in the number one position on Overture and partner sites such as AOL, Lycos, Altavista and Yahoo!. 

Payment is only deducted when the searcher clicks through to the advertiser's website. To ensure that the listing appears on partner sites the bid position must not fall below third place and you can be outbid at any time. Listings on partner sites are usually placed before the regular results and are distinguished by headings such as "Featured Listings". 

Paid placement can be a cost effective way to generate qualified traffic, and the more targeted the phrases the more likely the user will click through to your website. By measuring click through and conversion rates it is easy to measure and predict return on investment.

Another form of search engine advertising can be carried out on Google. Google Adwords are clearly set out as adverts, appearing in a separate area to the main results. Similar to Overture, you decide which key phrases you want to your ad to appear on, but pay per impression rather than click through.

Useful Links

Search Engine Watch
Up to date news and features related to the search engine industry.

ClickZ.com
Search Engine Marketing Section providing a range of articles on the subject.

Search Engine Forums
Join or follow discussions on the latest issues in search engine marketing. Also a great resource for obtaining answers to questions relating to search engine promotion.

<< Part I: Preparing for Search Engines
<< Part II: Submitting Your Site

Lynsey Willis

Lynsey writes a useful monthly newsletter on matters related to search engines, you can subscribe at her site.