Recently I've received contacts from ineedhits.com regarding paid inclusion in Ask Jeeves. Basically, they're contacting former paid inclusion clients to remind them to renew. When I asked the rep if paid inclusion wasn't being dropped by Ask Jeeves, he sent a form answer that was a "reminder" that

"Ask Jeeves is the only major search engine that
offers guaranteed inclusion without a cost per click fee. Use your
window of opportunity - from now until September 30 - to purchase or renew your low cost Ask Jeeves Site Submit subscription."

I was under the impression that there wouldn't be an inclusion
fee, either. Is there really any benefit to this "subscription"?
I don't care if the cost is low, I am more interested in the
principle at work, i.e. what's true and what isn't.

Can someone sort this out?

Isn't September 30th the date that Ask will end its PFI program? If so, iNeedHits is probably just trying to get people to get URLs listed before that cutoff date. They would then be there for a year after the date they are subscribed, whatever that may be, in the same way Inktomi is letting the term of their subscribed URLs run its course.

True, once you submit your urls at the per URL price, you are then 'grandfathered' in for the remaining year. I have seen moderate traffic from doing this, not as big as a bump as when I was getting MSN and Yahoo PI traffic, but it did come in at a positive ROI. Since ASK Jeeves is continually expanding their network through acquisitions, if you are in a competitive space and and have a decent budget to work with, (i.e. already maxing out your paid listings and seeking new sources of traffic), then I would recommend getting in before the cutoff.

I have not found the Ask Jeeves/Teoma PFI program worthwhile unless you have a new site and don't want to wait 3-4 months for them to find it. Otherwise, I just wait. true they are not as quick to update their index as Google and Yahoo but I can wait. pretty soon, site owners won't have any other choice and hopefully is Ask really wants to compete with the big two, they will provide a fresher index.

I've been letting all my PFI submissions expire for some time now, I guess the last six months or so. I certainly have no plan to "take advantage" of the window.

It makes me think of an autodealership that stops making a particular car because it has too many problems (think Fiero) but telling everybody to get one while you still have a chance!

Or like those Overture letters that suggest topping up your accounts even when the numbers show you have a few weeks of traffic in the balance... nothing like improving your cash flow.