“The powers that be who control search engines have begun fighting back, so to speak, against the porn onslaught and surprisingly, its not totally about censorship.”It wasn’t so long ago that a submission to a major search engine would yield instant results. Between excessive spam and an enormous glut of adult content, J. Edwards argues that mainstream search engines have grown less useful to adult webmasters. The solution? Adult search engines remain a widely untapped resource.

Back in 1\’\’7 when Carl Turner first dipped his toes in the online adult industry it was easier for his sites to be found. He describes a weekly ritual of spamming newsgroups and submitting to the search engines available then as easy and profitable.

“There weren’t nearly as many people in the game as there are now,” he says as he types in Yahoo’s URL, which he describes as instinctual.

“It was a whole lot easier back in the day to get listed on places like Yahoo. I remember several times waking up the morning after submitting to a few engines and finding the sites there already.”

But that was before the flood. As more and more adult sites flooded the net, search engines became glutted with adult content to the point that one couldn’t enter a search query of any kind without half the results returning as some kind of adult material.

“The powers that be who control search engines have begun fighting back, so to speak, against the porn onslaught and surprisingly, its not totally about censorship.”

“Even adult webmasters don’t want their fifth graders finding hot hoochie mammas when researching Shakespeare!” Turner remarks.

The powers that be who control search engines have begun fighting back, so to speak, against the porn onslaught and surprisingly, its not totally about censorship.

William Barber (not his real name) is a volunteer editor for DMOZ, the world’s largest human edited search directory. Engines and directories like Yahoo, Google, Canada.com, and many others draw at least partly from this database.

“We use our judgement when adding sites,” says Barber. “I will add adult sites if I feel they are quality ones. I don’t think we need another run-of-the-mill picture site using recycled photos so I cut those.”

Barber explains how others like him penalize sites using deceptive methods to rank higher in the search engines.

“I get annoyed if a page uses a common word in it’s meta tags and the site has nothing to do with it.”

Targeting Children, Or Just Spam?
Britney Spears is a prime example. According to Barber, school aged kids enter that term frequently and get bombarded with sites that have nothing to do with the entertainer in question. He compares this practice with the tobacco industry targeting children through advertising. While stopping short of accusing the adult industry of actually targeting kids, he is quick to point out that using false or deceptive keywords to lure unsuspecting surfers in is an area in which he feels the adult industry should police itself.

“I’m not a censor and I do view porn sites myself. I just feel that anyone who is a party to viewing it should have to look for it and not find it in searches for Power Rangers and Backstreet Boys.”

The major engines and directories, however, have begun to view the situation differently. Led by Yahoo, getting your sites listed has now become a bit more difficult and sometimes expensive. Excite, for example, now charges to have sites listed on their engine. This is not only an attempt to increase their revenue but also to discourage lower quality sites. You can still submit for free, but as they explain it, there is no promise your site will be spidered, let alone listed. Other engines and directories are also implementing this practice – some even charging higher ad rates for porn sites.

Honest Meta Tags
If the adult online industry is a legitimate, legal enterprise then what can adult webmasters do to survive the search engine skirmishes? Honest meta information is a start. Sure, its only a handful of webmasters who engage in this practice but in the volatile arena of public opinion, it only takes a few to give everyone a bad name.

Another area worth delving into is the mostly untapped resources of the adult search engine. Scorned by many adult webmasters, these often neglected directories could prove to be a potent force if exploited on a mass scale. Just as the online adult industry pushes for the .sex domain extension to separate them from other online endeavors, a network of successful adult search engines could hold the key for giving webmasters the targeted traffic they need: Adult web surfers looking for porn!

“YouHo is a search directory modeled after Yahoo. It boasts almost 15,000 hand-edited sites and close to 10,000,000 visitors to date. Despite a few broken links on its main page, YouHo is a thoroughly enjoyable romp through some quality sites all within a familiar backdrop.”

Believe it or not, there are a few adult search engines that are useful in finding particular kinks. Type in your poison and you get results! Search the directory portions of them indexed by topic and you quickly see the potential. For those actually looking for porn, it’s a potpourri of molten flesh. A quick Google search turns up a handful of them.

Giving Adult Search Engines a Try
YouHo is a search directory modeled after Yahoo. It boasts almost 15,000 hand-edited sites and close to 10,000,000 visitors to date. Despite a few broken links on its main page, YouHo is a thoroughly enjoyable romp through some quality sites all within a familiar backdrop. Its easy navigation makes it simple to find the type of porn you’re after. If you’re not listed yet, try them out!

If you want to list (or search) somewhere “off the beaten path,” surf by sexynexus.com. In addition to the obvious search functions and links, their “Something Different” category will surely entertain if not arouse you. Beware of the “Goth-Punk vamp girls with tattoos!”

An up and coming search directory/engine is cybersexrated.com. Though it can’t yet claim major participation, it features a professional design. Aside from a top banner ad, nothing hardcore is in your face. The site owner appears to be open to suggestions so submit your URL and drop him a line!

You’re probably asking yourself now if you can get traffic from these engines. The answer is a resounding yes. For the moment, you won’t have a lot of competition for the all mighty hits you want. This translates quite nicely into qualified visitors looking for your wares. At the very least, what could it hurt to list with them. If the current trend in the mainstream engines continue, you may find it increasingly difficult to get your new sites listed with them. Then, the adult engines will be the fair-haired child, and you’ll already have a piece of them.

J. Edwards is a valued member of The ADULTWEBMASTER writing staff. He currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.