Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2003 10:15 am Post subject: Re: Is Paying for Yahoo Worth it?
SgtAw wrote:
Do you think it is worth it in terms of immediate traffic generation and long term benefit?
If you are already doing well in Google, I don't think it's worth it. I wouldn't expect the traffic benefits to be worth it - now. But things might change soon...
If you are not, Yahoo may well act as a springboard to getting traffic from Google. It's often a matter of whether it's worth paying to speed up Google results.
Bear in mind there are things to consider when applying for a Yahoo listing, and even if you pay you are not guaranteed to pass the human review.
Hope this helps,
Charlie. _________________ "Before I speak, I have something important to say."
- Groucho Marx
You may want to get into Inktomi, since Yahoo is likely to use those results to either supplement Google, or replace Google results, at some point.
If you keep your site relatively ad free, and it has unique, quality content, you could get in without much problem. Just be sure and follow the tips offered in the SBI HQ to increase your chances.
I think the thing I've seen most about Yahoo is that the link to your site is worth a lot in terms of PR to Google, not so much as a traffic source direct from Yahoo.
Debs _________________ Learn how to turn keyphrases into quality, well-targeted articles your visitors and SE's will love with Gary Antosh's new ebook "Web Content Made Easy!"
So yahoo isn't doesn't generate good traffic. That seems kinda strange considering it is so big. Also, I believe Rupert of AssociatePrograms.com said that as soon as he was listed with Yahoo his traffic skyrocketed.
If you are already doing well in Google, I don't think it's worth it. I wouldn't expect the traffic benefits to be worth it - now. But things might change soon...
Debs wrote:
You may want to get into Inktomi, since Yahoo is likely to use those results to either supplement Google, or replace Google results, at some point.
Aha... you read that, too.
SgtAw wrote:
So yahoo doesn't generate good traffic. That seems kinda strange considering it is so big. Also, I believe Rupert of AssociatePrograms.com said that as soon as he was listed with Yahoo his traffic skyrocketed.
You are only really paying for the directory listing. Yahoo currently uses Google for it's search results, as Debs pointed out.
Sometimes it works like this...
You can't get very good rankings in Google because you don't have incoming links. So you don't get traffic. So you decide to pay for a Yahoo listing and are accepted. Now Google thinks your site is somehow better than before and ranks it more highly, getting you more traffic.
I suspect that most of Rupert's extra traffic may have come from Google itself. Certainly, if you don't optimise for Google, your paid Yahoo listing won't be anywhere as useful as it might have been.
Hope this is clear,
Charlie. _________________ "Before I speak, I have something important to say."
- Groucho Marx
I found that traffic really started to increase right after our Yahoo listing. AND listings in Google started to improve almost immediately. So, at least for now, it looks like Yahoo is worth it.
Incidentally, I tried DMOZ and couldn't even get a response - I think it might have been due to the affiliate links I already had on the site.
With the next site, I am going directly to a Yahoo listing and not bothering with the time and hassle of DMOZ. I know the SBI wisdom is to do the site first with minimal affiliate / commercial linking, then re-do to add affiliate links after DMOZ listing. But that is a lot of work even with a 20 page site.
DJ[/url] _________________ David
Site Build It! Certified Webmaster
Family Business Expert
Well, with DMOZ you can wait 8 months to get in, if you do. I wouldn't wait that long for anyone lol If you haven't heard anything from DMOZ, they haven't gotten to your listing yet, or you were accepted. You can check status of DMOZ listings here:
Zeal is the one SBI really recommends you hold off affiliate links for, because they feed another SE (and I can't remember who) or directory. And, I believe that would be worth it because Zeal is relatively quick on their updates from what I have heard.
Hope this helps,
Debs _________________ Learn how to turn keyphrases into quality, well-targeted articles your visitors and SE's will love with Gary Antosh's new ebook "Web Content Made Easy!"
Joined: 24 Oct 2003 Posts: 61 Location: Mississippi
Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2003 9:17 pm Post subject:
Zeal feeds Looksmart and Looksmart is currently the first set of non paid listings in MSNs results. However, MSN decided not to renew it's contract with Looksmart so Looksmart and Zeal's importance is going to drop like a rock real soon unless they form a new partnership with another big player in the search engine game.
Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2003 10:00 pm Post subject: Yahoo worth it?
Debs and Daryl... thanks!
Yes, I remember now that the strategy to list without affiliate links, then to re-write, was for Zeal. Still seems a lot of work, even if Zeal is faster to list. Of course, for my existing site of 70+ pages that wasn't an option at all...
DJ _________________ David
Site Build It! Certified Webmaster
Family Business Expert
Daryl, thanks for prodding my memory and I agree that there will be some interesting things happening in the Looksmart arena. Can't imagine them sitting on their laurels anymore
DJ, glad to help and good luck with your site.
Debs _________________ Learn how to turn keyphrases into quality, well-targeted articles your visitors and SE's will love with Gary Antosh's new ebook "Web Content Made Easy!"
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and I agree that there will be some interesting things happening in the Looksmart arena. Can't imagine them sitting on their laurels anymore