| What is AgSearch? AgSearch is an Agriculturally focused Search Engine that is unique in the fact that it is maintained by humans who are familiar with the rural lifestyle, does not offer any external advertising and will never share any users personal information. |
| When did AgSearch begin? The journey into ag specific search began in 2004 with the creation of AgMarketOnline, which eventually was rebranded and re-launched as AgSearch.us in late 2017. |
| What is a Link or Record? The words Link and Record are interchangeable and represent a single entry in our search engine database. The Research Assistant's job is to determine if it qualifies for inclusion, and then accurately update all required fields. |
| Why should we add these links when a computer bot could do it in seconds? AgSearch is putting the human aspect back into the Search industry. Instead of robots scanning for links, we invest in people, because people are the heart of Agriculture, not robots. |
| How do I add a new link / record / business to AgSearch.us? There are two ways to add a new link; Suggest a Site or Add a New Business. Both are accessible from the Site Menu on the top right when you are logged into your Research Portal. |
| What is the difference between Free Listing in the main menu and Suggest a Site, or Nominate a Business? Free Listing, and Suggest a Site, aka Nominate a Business for Inclusion, are on the public site at agsearch.us. If you use this, put a 0 in the Your Name field. The link will go into The Hopper where you can then go find it and claim it, if you want to complete the record and get credit for it. |
| What is a Research Assistants basic job description? Research Assistants are supplied with potential links for inclusion on AgSearch.us. Their job is to visit each website and determine if it qualifies. If so, the Record is completed, Saved and Submitted for Approval. |
| What do I need to have to work as a Research Assistant? Research Assistants need a computer (laptop / pad / tablet), an internet connection, and a basic understanding of websites and searching the internet. A mobile version of the Research Portal is currently in production at Hale Multimedia. |
| Can I use my smartphone to add links? Not at this time, but a mobile version of the Research Portal is already in production at Hale Multimedia. Soon, very soon. |
| Where does a Research Assistant get links? There are two methods of Research; The #MainHopper and #ResourceSites. The Main Hopper is filled with links that may already appear on AgSearch, but need updating and re-qualified. Resource Sites are websites that contain a collection of links that can all be checked and added. Many of these links will not already by in AgSearch, so they will be added using the Add a New Business form. |
| What does it mean to be Qualified for inclusion? AgSearch.us is a U.S. based Agricultural Search Engine of working websites. Businesses must therefore be based in the United States, have a working Website (or Facebook Page) with required contact information and be closely tied to agriculture in some way. If you are not sure, you should Submit it for Review and our Directors will handle it. |
| What exact fields in a Record are required for Approval? |
| Do I have to be logged in to the Research Portal to add links? The easiest way to receive credit for the link is to be logged in. However, there is the Suggest a Link tool that you could use without logging in. When you use your official AgSearch initials, the computer slides it into your Hopper so that you can get credit for it if approved. |
| How much do I get paid for adding links? Everyone begins at AgSearch as a Research Recruit. How long you stay in this period is determined by your level of commitment, performance and attitude while we get everything perfected for you in this exciting new adventure. We are looking for those who have the vision to realize the massive potential this project has and how much we can all benefit if we work extra hard in the beginning. Upon Review and advancement to Research Assistant, you will earn .50 per approved link for your first 200 links. Upon review and advancement to Research Pro, you are then paid a full $1.00 per approved link with no maximum to the amount you can earn. |
| Do you withhold Taxes from my pay? No, as an Independent Contractor, you will be issued an IRS Form 1099 showing your earnings for the year. It is your responsibility to report this income as taxable. |
| Do I need to disable my popup blocker? Yes, you do. Ten seconds after you click on a green arrow (which opens a record), the link will open in a popup window. |
| How much do I get paid? Research Assistants reaching the rank of Trainee get .50 per approved link, and a Research Pro gets $1.00 per approved link. |
| Where are your offices located? We are a registered S corporation in the State of Oklahoma. Our offices will be located in Shawnee in late 2018. We currently operate out remote offices in Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. |
| Is the Research Assistant position basically commission or is it hourly? NO, it's NEITHER hourly or commission. Research Assistants are paid per approved link successfully accepted for inclusion in our Search Engine. Commission implies sales, and there is neither sales, nor ANY contact with the prospective customer. Research Assistants do not make contact with the clients of the links they add. |
| How long does the interview process take? If you are genuinely interested in coming to work with us and we feel you would be a good fit, then we will both know that in less than 30 minutes on the phone. |
| How does the interview process work? The first step was when you expressed interest, with most of you coming through facebook and their job application process. The next step is to look over and agree to the Research Agreement. Once you have done so, we'll contact you again to setup a short phone interview at your convenience. |
| Where can I get the link to the Research Agreement to sign? Here you go, click here |
| What goes in the Point of Contact field? The Point of Contact and POC Phone fields are not required as long as the business email and phone are listed. A proper Point of Contact is the 'highest ranking' person by name (not Secretary or title) that you can find on the website. Usually it's an owner or officer of the company that is seen as the one at the top. Our management teams that do the follow up will determine who our final contact will be. |
| How do I qualify a record? A record is qualified for inclusion in our Agricultural Search Engine of Websites and Facebook Pages, IF they are involved in Agriculture, have a an active website or facebook page and you can find the other fields required for approval. |
| What do you do if you find a broken link? |
| If a website does not provide a POC, phone number, e-mail, etc. Do I contact the business? |
| What do I do if I find a possible duplicate record? When you first click a green arrow to start a record, you will notice an AgSearch box on your right. This will automatically show any records that are currently live links on AgSearch that contain ANY of the words in the name of the company. You can narrow your search by clicking on any individual word. ach record has a unique ID. You will notice an ID on the record you pulled up as well as any records in your search results. Any ID's that do not match the one you are working on, are potential duplicates. There are several reasons for duplicate company names. A legitimate reason is that they have multiple locations, dealers, branches, etc and that's ok. When you find a record with a different ID, yet the company appears to be the same company (not a branch) then simply Kick it Back for Review. Our Directors have years of experience with these editorial decisions and will take care of it and teach you why they did. If it's the same ID as the one you are working on, that just means you are working on a live record. You may continue as before in this case. Finish the record and submit it accordingly. |
| How long is the initial training period? The length of time it takes to become trained enough to advance to paid status really depends on how quickly you learn. Our Directors will help you understand what is required on each record. A good indication of proper training is when you are no longer getting records Returned for Correction. |
| What do I do with information previously entered that I can not find or verify? |
| What address should I use - physical, mailing, or both? |
| What do I do about the description field? |
| What is the exact format required for phone numbers? |
| As a Membership Manager, what should I do when an approved, qualified member's email bounces back? |