LookSmart breaks information search into 161 vertical search sites
LookSmart has launched 161 new vertical search sites in 13 categories. The destination sites, which are focused on content such as news articles, blogs and other information sources, also carry sponsored cost-per-click keyword listings and will carry banners and other creative online ad formats priced on a CPM basis, according to the company.
“Publishers are trying to help advertisers intercept consumers in a productive way in different places of the sales funnel,” Hills says, adding that the level of engagement, which is reasonably indicated by the type of content the user is reading, qualifies potential customers for marketers sponsoring ads in the vertical sites. That targeting, he adds, makes it easier for advertisers of all sizes to locate the audience they are after and effectively meet their online marketing goals.
“It was clear to us that consumers want a trusted brand to provide vertical search and content so they can truly find what is essential and not exhaustive for subjects that are critical to their lives,” says Hills.
The bulk of the audience is the audience for another LookSmart property, Findarticles.com, an online repository of published articles. That has grown from 3.1 to 5.7 million unique visitors from a year ago. This audience will continue to help drive traffic to the vertical sites with links from Findarticles to the vertical sites. LookSmart also has beefed up search engine optimization to drive traffic to the vertical sites.
Each of the vertical categories had several niche sites; for example, LookSmart’s Money category include vertical sites dedicated to information and links on mutual funds, real estate, retirement, savings, stocks, taxes and other related topics. Within each vertical site, relevant content is broken out first by topic, then source. Besides the money category, other categories of vertical search sites launched by LookSmart include Auto, Cities, Education, Food, Health, Home Living, Music, Recreation, Sports, Style, Tech and Games, and Travel.
Back...
