LookSmart lost its biggest search partner, MSN Search, at the beginning of 2004. Its listings now only appear on a few of the smaller search engines and directories, such as LookSmart, Lycos, InfoSpace, Mamma, and CNET Search.
I can’t see LookSmart prospering in the search arena. It just can’t compete with the likes of Google, Yahoo! Search and soon-to-be-released MSN Search. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is acquired, or merges with another search engine to expand its reach.
LookSmart is a web directory consisting entirely of commercial websites. For noncommercial websites, LookSmart accepts submissions in its Zeal directory.
Prior to April 2002, LookSmart was a standard web directory accepting submissions for a one-time fee.
In April of that year LookSmart changed its business model into a pay per click web directory. LookSmart accepts multiple listings per website. So you can have one listing for each product category.
LookSmart now charge a $29 submission fee for each new listing, plus $0.15 per click through, for the first 5,000 clicks. After that, you pay a higher cost per click, depending on the category of your listing.
Here is a chart of the new pricing structure:
| Category | Cost Per Click |
| Auto | $0.23 |
| Books, Magazines, CDs, and DVDs | $0.23 |
| Auctions, Affiliate Malls & Coupon Sites | $0.23 |
| People & Relationships | $0.30 |
| Business Services | $0.30 |
| Professional/Consumer Services | $0.30 |
| Moving and Real Estate | $0.30 |
| Paid-Download Services | $0.30 |
| Retail | $0.30 |
| Ticket Services | $0.30 |
| Travel | $0.30 |
| Education | $0.40 |
| Jobs & Careers | $0.40 |
| Health Products | $0.40 |
| Credit/Bad Debt | $0.75 |
| Online Gaming | $0.75 |
| Finance/Insurance | $0.75 |
| Communications/Internet Hosting | $0.75 |
Visit the “How To Submit To Web Directories” section for more information on how to submit and optimize your listings in the LookSmart directory.
| Documents Indexed | 2.5 million |
| Unique Visitors (Monthly) | 60 million |
| Audience Reach | 1.7% |
| Searches (Daily) | 45 million+ |
| Search Engine Partner (Powered By) | WiseNut |
| Supplies Results For | Lycos, InfoSpace, Mamma, and CNET Search. |
| Partner Index Update | A few days |
| Search Results Listing Order | Sponsored Listings Reviewed Websites Directory Categories |
| Free Submission (Time to Index) | Not Available |
| Submit Pages | All important pages, if they fit under different product categories |
| Pages Indexed | Only submitted URLs |
| Submission Limit (Daily) | No Limit |
| Paid Inclusion? (Time to Index & Update + Costs) | LookListings Add new listing: $29 $0.15 per click through for first 5,000 clicks each month, then $0.23-75 per click thereafter Update listing: $19 Minimum monthly spend: $15 |
| Ranking Data | Submission form |
| Maximum Title Tag Length | 65 characters |
| Maximum Description Tag Length | 170 characters |
| Alphanumerical Ranking? | In directory only |
| Home Page | http://www.looksmart.com |
| Paid Submission | LookListings http://listings.looksmart.com |
| Free Submission | Zeal Directory http://www.zeal.com |