Re: Yahoo (Price) Surprise!

From: Shari Thurow <shari_at_grantasticdesigns.com>
Date: Wed 23 Jan 2002 12:00:54 -0500

I have been following the discussion thread on Yahoo's
pricing with great interest. My job, both as an online
marketing manager and as a search engine optimization
specialist, gives me the opportunity to look at site
statistics for all types of businesses. I've been
reading and analyzing traffic logs since 1995. So
here's my 2 cents on the subject.

Even though a regional Yahoo listing might not get you
direct traffic and/or sales, the impact Yahoo has on
your site's link popularity is extremely high. So if
you rely on traffic from Google, Inktomi (MSN Search,
AOL Search, HotBot, etc.), Fast Search (Lycos), and
AltaVista, a Yahoo listing has a major impact on your
site's visibility in those search engines. Why? Because
all of the major search engines measure popularity as
part of their algorithm.

The quality of the links to your site matter more than
the quantity. So listings in Yahoo, LookSmart, and Open
Directory are extremely important for search engine
visibility.

I was a bit surprised by Yahoo's price increase myself.
But when I really thought about it and went through all
of the traffic analyses I've done for my clients, that
$299 has paid for itself many times over. Even for the
regionally listed sites.

I agree that not all sites need heavy-duty search engine
marketing, but I also know that your target audience
should be able to find you online. A Yahoo listing is
a relatively simple way of making your site "findable."

--
Take care,
Shari Thurow
Webmaster/Marketing Director

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Email: shari_at_grantasticdesigns.com
Phone: 847-426-8815

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Received on Wed Jan 23 2002 - 11:00:54 CST