Hi,
I agree Prof for the most part. Currently I am visiting smaller PPCs that I received traffic from thru places like Findwhat and goclick. I think wordsmith sent traffic to me thru goclick.
I think there is a percentage of real players that use the smaller engines; of those times; I’d imagine it is a scenario where a site has added a smaller engine as an affiliate and yes, there are going to be people that will type in their search on the search box they find at the site they’re currently visiting, as opposed to visiting google or yahoo.
Now here is where I admit I’m stretching hope; but HOPEFULLY…. as searchers come to the realization that doing a search at google for online casino; is only going to get them results that are saturated with redirects, popups, and basically get them a return of results that are sub-par to the kind of casino or portal they would get thru a paid ad campaign.
I know a lot of people think that you can’t do better than the free results that one gets from google or yahoo, but it is my opinion that these results are sub-par when it comes to doing a search for anything that involves spending money.
Give me the paid advertisers every time in that instance because they’re much, much more likely to be concerned with keeping their customers happy. I know because I am. If I didn’t pay for traffic I’d be much more casual about the casinos I list because I could afford to be; okay, that’s not true because its my nature to treat people how I would want to be treated, but you see my point.
Even those that aren’t bound by their ethics ARE bound by simple economics. Send your traffic to a casino that is slow or no-pay; and 95% will not be back. If you are paying prime prices for traffic; you’ll not be around this time next year if you are sending your players to some place they get jerked around.
As has the net has always proven (to me anyway) that regardless of how you wrap it; if its shit then people are going to smell it and avoid it. It might take a while, but they will catch on and in the end; those that played respectably will be the only ones left standing.
I think that’s true in this matter as well. In time; (unlesss google turns it around), people are going to start searching for their casinos someplace that returns results that are more than the half dozen redirects to starluck casino, a listing for Windows casino, and a handful of other …. usually sub-par portals and casinos – that one gets from google now when doing a search.
Note- I know the above is an exaggeration, but it reads so much better than “a bunch of crappy results” 
BUTTTTTT…… even if my perspective comes true; it still doesn’t take away from the fact that you are going to get the best traffic doing SEO. no arguement there.
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Lou. Good to see you could join us.
bet you missed my smart ass huh?
….. I couldn’t resist.