Free PPC search engine listing

[MonsterSeek]

Hi,
just wanted to announce our new ppc
We are currently offering free listings so that you can check out how our service works, i.e.,
you can create an account and list your website free of charge. We will credit your account immediately with $10 credit, essentially giving you up to 10,000 targeted click thrus.
You can sign up for free and list your website immediately.
We also have an affiliate program that pays 40% for click thru on keywords.
We have a unique offer for webmaster of webhosting/high traffic websites. For further info, please email
Thanks a bunch.

[ihelpyou]

Welcome to the forums monsterseek! :hi:

We also have an affiliate program that pays 40% for click thru on keywords.
This has traditionally Not been a good thing as webmasters can easily automate the process of 'clicks' from their affiliate site to run up the dollars they make, which depletes the account of your advertiser.

Click-thru fraud is the biggest problem of ALL PPC engines.

[MonsterSeek]

Doug,
thanks for the info. That's a shame though. I just wanted to use the affiliate program as a profit generator for the webmaster and of course increasing our exposure. Is there any way of doing it still but preventing cheating of the customers?
rgds,
Rob

[ihelpyou]

Nope. Not that I know of. I know Overture has filters set up but even still many fraudulant clicks are not detected. The only way to prevent fraud from affiliate sites is not to have affiliate sites that get paid from you for clicks. All they will do is abuse it, and this will also piss off your advertisers.

[markymark]

Doug, I don't think you can accuse all PPC affiliates of abusing this but ensuring there is a minimum of fraud is a difficult business.

I suggest that rather than having an 'open' affiliate scheme that anyone can join, it would be better to seek out potential partners yourself and ask them if they would be interested in joining. If you target high traffic, niche sites, then you can pull in some good affiliates and quality targeted traffic, but an 'open-to-all' affiliate scheme is just a recipe for disaster.

[MonsterSeek]

Sounds like good advice. That's actually what I'm looking for - a few high traffic sites to team up with. Been talking with a few webhosting companies, this may be the route we end up using. Thanks for the info.

[ncpapi]

We don't allow advertising in here. I am edited out the very top post of this thread as well . It seems these new PPC engines only sign up to post their links and advertise. I will not allow that. Please be a good member and make some posts that are questions about the search engines or are helping other members with the search engines. Don't post simply to tell us about the new ppc and how many free credits we can get today.
Thanks
Doug

[shabir]

MonsterSeek
The add URL gives an 404 error!!!

[ncpapi]

OK, not a problem. When I saw monsterseek advertise, I thought it was allowed.

[ihelpyou]

All you have to do is make a signature file with your url. It would be in every post you make. No real need to post a url with a signature then.

We are one of the very few forums who allow signatures. You should take advantage of that. :)

[ncpapi]

Great, thank you for the info

[lurkerlady]

Originally posted by ihelpyou
[B]Nope. Not that I know of. I know Overture has filters set up but even still many fraudulant clicks are not detected.

hi doug - what do you mean by "many"? are you speaking from personal experience or are there posted statistics to this effect?

thank you.

[ihelpyou]

I don't think you could have any "posted stats" on that. I think you can read all the different forums and posts by members to come up with that anyway. Just read in here and read elsewhere. It's a given there are many daily. That is just the cost of doing business the ppc way. People know ahead of time that fraud is imminent in the ppc game. It's the nature of the beast.

Do a search on a random search term in AltaVista and click on the number one listing that comes up. It does not matter what it is, just click on it. You see how easy that is? Now, do that on the same term once a day and click on the same listing. That is what a competitor can do. Very easy.

[plattypus]

Don't post simply to tell us about the new ppc and how many free credits we can get today

As people persist, and will persist. And as it could be useful information to some - maybe you could consider creating an area or thread where they could do so. i.e. a list of smaller PPCs? and set rules on the description. That way it would be easier to monitor who is legitimate and who is spamming and also would provide the information to those looking for it.

[ihelpyou]

Welcome to the forums plattypus! :hi:

I guess the point is that we allow a signature file in every post. It is very easy to 'get out' your url or new ppc or new anything in here. All they have to do is be a good member and many viewers, both guests and members will visit the site. I just don't think a brand new member should all the sudden advertise his new site on his/her very first post. We freely allow url's, etc to be posted in here, but I feel members should "earn" that right first. The signature file makes it very easy to show your url, even on the very first post. :)

[plattypus]

fair point, it makes it fair for members. But makes it harder for visitors to find the info doesn't it?

[ihelpyou]

Yes, but then that would make the case where anyone could simply sign up and make a post about their brand new site. It could be about anything, ppc, new software site, great new idea, .. anything. If we said it's fine for ppc, where would you draw the line? Nope. We don't allow advertising in here for the sole purpose of advertising. :)

Besides, PPC would be the last thing I would allow a separate forum for just to advertise. I hate it anyway. :)

[plattypus]

Fair Play, I'm not a fan of PPC either. Was just thinking aloud.

[dvduval]

Doug,
I support the idea that the first post should not be an advertisement. That's what makes forums like this different from Usenet newsgroups. Furthermore, a forum by definition is a place for discussion to take place. Advertisements are not discussions, but rather, they are captive, one-sided monologue. People don't come here for the advertising. They come here for the discussion which might include:
question - answer
point - counterpoint
not advertisement - flame