LookSmart(R) Unveils 161 New 'Vertical' Web Sites in 12 Categories for Consumers to Find Essential Information on the Web

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, (NAMC) - LookSmart(R) (Nasdaq:LOOK) (ASX:LOK), an online media and technology company specializing in vertical search, 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:

-- Auto (www.looksmartauto.com)

-- Cities (www.looksmartcities.com)

-- Education (www.looksmarteducation.com)

-- Food (www.looksmartfood.com)

-- Health (www.looksmarthealth.com)

-- Home Living (www.looksmarthomeliving.com)

-- Money (www.looksmartmoney.com)

-- Music (www.looksmartmusic.com)

-- Recreation (www.looksmartrecreation.com)

-- Sports (www.looksmartsports.com)

-- Style (www.looksmartstyle.com)

-- Tech and Games (www.looksmarttech.com) and

-- Travel (www.looksmarttravel.com)

To advertise on LookSmart's vertical search sites and supplemental distribution network, email: or call 888.403.5665. For more information, visit www.LookSmart.com or any new vertical site.

About LookSmart(R)

LookSmart is an online media and technology company specializing in vertical search. The company provides relevant content, advertising and technology solutions for consumers, advertisers and publishers. LookSmart's owned and operated vertical search sites are where customers look for what they need. The Company's sites and web tools offer essential search results with the ability to find, save and share articles. In addition to owned and operated properties, LookSmart's distribution network includes selected, monitored syndicated publishers and search engine partners that maximize advertiser ROI. Distribution partners include Lycos, CNET, InfoSpace (Excite, MetaCrawler, Webcrawler), Cox Interactive, Apple's Sherlock, and U.C. Berkeley. LookSmart offers a comprehensive and customizable set of syndicated solutions for publishers to grow their advertiser relationships and audience. LookSmart is based in San Francisco, California.

This press release contains forward-looking statement and predictions, such as references to the market opportunity for vertical search, the future of the Web and what sites and services consumers will desire. These forward-looking statements and predictions involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements and predictions are made only as of the date of this press release, and LookSmart undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements or predictions, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements or predictions. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the failure of market acceptance of vertical search, failure of consumers to adopt vertical search, or our vertical search offerings, as a targeted method of their own online search behavior, any of which could lead to a substantial downturn in our financial results, our inability to generate sufficient revenues to fund our future product plans, our failure to preserve our expertise in search product development, our inability to improve our match rate, average CPC or other advertiser metrics, our customers deciding to reduce spending or terminate their relationships with us for reasons beyond our control, unexpected increases in costs and expenses, the possible delisting of the Company's stock from the Nasdaq National Market as a result of the Company's failure to meet the minimum bid price requirement for a period of 10 consecutive trading days, and the Company's ability to successfully implement its operational plan. These and other risk factors are described in detail in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2005, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 and in other documents filed with the SEC.

LookSmart is a registered trademark of LookSmart, Ltd.

Contact:
Lyman Public Relations
Angie Platt
916-941-1009

Carm Lyman
707-256-3834