LookSmart unveils 161 new search engines

[Press Release]

LookSmart(R) (Nasdaq:LOOK) (ASX:LOK), an online media and technology company specializing in vertical search, today unveiled 161 new vertical search sites in a variety of categories, delivering consumers relevant search results and advertisers a more qualified customer. Categorically focused and demographically defined, the sum of 13 vertical categories and 181 total sites makes LookSmart the largest single provider of vertical search destinations on the Web. The Company's "brand promise" is to provide consumers with essential information for passions, needs and repetitive tasks encountered in everyday life.

Where Consumers Look for What They Need

Like Cable was to television, vertical search is the Web's next logical step. Consumers embrace many media choices and integrate them into their lives, creating a desire for "vertical" services and content.

"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," said David B. Hills, president and CEO of LookSmart. "We've designed the sites and functionality to augment what consumers do with more generalized and portal services."

For each vertical category, LookSmart has developed an array of niche sites. For example, LookSmart's Money web sites include: mutual funds, real estate, retirement, savings, stocks, taxes and more. Unlike many other sites, content and articles found on LookSmart's vertical search sites are freely accessible and from a wide variety of sources.

Categorically and Demographically Targeted Sites for Advertisers

LookSmart's expansive set of sites make it simpler and easier for advertisers of all sizes to locate the audience they are after and effectively meet their online marketing goal. Advertisers can now reach these highly targeted audiences with search ads, banners and other creative formats.

"Few people thought that Cable would transform the television industry like it did. They thought the consumer and advertiser would not adopt and embrace vertical alternatives," added Hills. "The online medium and search in particular have these same elements. LookSmart is in a unique position to lead this evolution of consumer and advertiser choice on the Web. I'm extremely proud of the LookSmart team and we all look forward to this new chapter in our company's development."

Within each vertical site relevant content is broken out first by topic, then by source, and all information is compiled to suit the visitor's needs. On LookSmartFamilyMeals.com, a parent can find content on a wide variety of realistic "family friendly" recipes and cooking information such as: "quick cook," "cooking for kids," "breakfasts" and even as exact a search as "chicken dishes" for kids with particular eating habits.

Visitors to any LookSmart vertical site will find relevant articles, blogs, news and Web results delivered within a robust tool set that allows them to find what they want, save what they need and share with other like minded people, without lengthy registration or personalization.

The LookSmart-branded vertical search categories of sites include: