May 7, 2013 at 7:52pm ET by Danny Sullivan

Despite effectively renewing its search deal with Microsoft recently, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Yahoo wants a way to break that deal. Why didn't Yahoo take the opportunity it just had? I suspect that technically and financially, it couldn't. Yahoo's "Get Out Of Microsoft Free" Card The WSJ story says that Yahoo has been "quietly" trying to find a way out of its deal with Microsoft. There are some very specific reasons why Yahoo could break that ten year deal early. One of them is the failure for Microsoft to help Yahoo to reach promised "revenue per search" or RPS goals. T [...]

Yahoo Extends Microsoft Search Deal & Revenue Guarantees

May 7, 2013 at 1:14pm ET by Danny Sullivan

Yahoo is giving Microsoft a further chance to prove that its search ads really can make Yahoo as much money as promised -- at a price. Microsoft has agreed to extend "search revenue guarantees" that it has continually paid since the two companies signed a deal in 2009. Yahoo Declares An Extension Reuters spotted the extension as part of Yahoo's latest quarterly financial filing: On April 30, 2013, Microsoft extended the RPS Guarantee in the U.S. for an additional 12 months commencing April 1, 2013. Second Time Guarantee Extended To translate into plain language, when Yahoo & Microso [...]

Yahoo Intros Cost-Per-Lead Search Ads, First New Format Under Marissa Mayer

Dec 14, 2012 at 3:56pm ET by Pamela Parker

Yahoo Advertising is introducing something of a groundbreaking new ad unit, inserting a cost-per-lead ad just under a site's listing within the organic search results. It also allows Yahoo a new way to earn off search separately from its deal with Microsoft, which has proven disappointing for the company. The new ad format, which can collect information like demographics, email addresses or phone numbers, is called Cost Per Lead for Search. It's clearly marked as "Ad from" with the advertiser's name following. Advertisers can choose a headline, logo and up to six individual fields for us [...]

A Yahoo-Facebook Search Partnership? Reality Check Time!

Nov 19, 2012 at 12:06am ET by Danny Sullivan

The world, it seems, just cannot wait for Facebook to come along and start its own search engine and knock Google off the top of search mountain. The rumors and expectations of this go back for years. Now the latest twist: Yahoo and Facebook will team up together. If you're banking on that potential alliance taking out Google, much less Bing, let me offer up a reality check. Report: Yahoo & Facebook Talking Search Let's start with the current news that has various tech blogs lighting up over the possibilities. The Telegraph, citing anonymous sources, reports that Yahoo CEO Marissa May [...]

Eric Schmidt Floats Idea Of A Yahoo-Google Search Partnership

Sep 25, 2012 at 3:12pm ET by Matt McGee

Apple, Google and mapping apps weren't the only thing that Eric Schmidt spoke about today in Tokyo. Forbes is reporting that Schmidt also floated the idea of a Google-Yahoo search partnership. Dow Jones reporter Kenneth Maxwell was at the event, and shared this statement with Forbes: Yes, I can confirm, Eric Schmidt definitely said they'd be interested in working with Yahoo US. He also said nothing doing for the time being, but they would be interested. It was also mentioned to him that there is new management at Yahoo US with a Google connection. But he played it pretty straight…. He al [...]

As The Yahoo-Microsoft Search Alliance Falls Short, Could A Yahoo-Google Deal Emerge?

Jul 19, 2012 at 9:00am ET by Danny Sullivan

Once again, Yahoo is earning so little under its search deal with Microsoft that Microsoft is having to make up the difference due to a revenue guarantee. If the performance doesn't improve, Yahoo might go looking for a new partner, which could include Google. Let's explore how the deal has continued to falter, quarter-after-quarter, and how the seemingly inevitable failure might lead Yahoo back to one-time partner Google. The RPS Gap During its earnings call this week, Yahoo chief financial officer Tim Morse said there continues to be a gap between the expected revenue earned per search [...]

Ironically, Search Might Be Less A Priority At Yahoo As Google’s Marissa Mayer Takes The Helm

Jul 16, 2012 at 6:11pm ET by Danny Sullivan

Wow. Wow. Wow. That's all that keeps running through my head as I digest the news that long-time Google executive Marissa Mayer is to take over as president and CEO of Yahoo. Smart move for Mayer. Smart move for Yahoo. And as I'll explain more, perhaps a move that finally takes Yahoo out of the search game, but takes it out in a smart way. A Force To Be Reckoned With I've known Mayer since she started at Google in 1999. Until she moved off of being vice president of search in 2010, Mayer was the Google executive I had the most contact with. When we were first introduced, my reaction to Googl [...]

Microsoft-Yahoo Ad Transition Wrapping Up In UK, Ireland & France

Apr 13, 2012 at 1:37pm ET by Matt McGee

Yahoo search users in the UK, Ireland and France will start to see ads from Microsoft's adCenter next week, as the two companies wrap up the transition that began in 2009 with the MSFT-Yahoo search alliance. As part of the transition, search advertisers that are still on Yahoo's platform in those countries will need to migrate to adCenter because Yahoo Search Marketing accounts will shift to read-only status. But, in a blog post today about the pending change, Microsoft suggests monitoring both accounts during the transition: As Yahoo! ad serving moves to adCenter, and your clicks and im [...]

Ballmer: 70% Of The Time, Google & Bing Are The Same, So Try Bing!

Oct 18, 2011 at 10:03pm ET by Danny Sullivan

It's perhaps one of the strangest product pitches I've heard. Asked on stage at Web 2.0 Summit by John Battelle about his Bing search engine, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer encouraged the audience to try Bing because, well, it's pretty much the same as Google. The Ballmer 70/15/15 Challenge "I would issue you all a kind of challenge to try any search you want on Bing and Google," Ballmer said, explaining that 70% of the time, there won't be any difference in the results, that 15% of the time, Bing will be better and 15% of the time, Google will be better. Now, if Ballmer had said that maybe [...]

Official: Yahoo’s Results Now Come From Bing

Aug 24, 2010 at 12:34pm ET by Barry Schwartz

Yahoo just announced the transition from Yahoo Search powered results to Bing powered organic Yahoo search results is now complete. The search ads are still from Yahoo but the free, organic results are now powered by Bing in the U.S. and Canada. Shashi Seth, Senior Vice President of Yahoo! Search Products, said " I am proud to announce that the transition of organic search between Yahoo! and Microsoft is complete." He then told everyone to check out the Bing blog to see what they had to say. Bing said: Today I am happy to share that Bing is powering Yahoo!’s search results in the US a [...]

Optimizing Yourself For The Yahoo! Microsoft Search Alliance

Jul 20, 2010 at 5:02pm ET by David Roth

David Roth is Director Of Search Marketing for Yahoo, as well as being a very large Yahoo advertiser. Offering an insider’s perspective, Dave provides some unique insights into the forthcoming Yahoo/Microsoft search alliance. Here are his tips and information that will enable both large and small advertisers, publishers, and webmasters to navigate the process smoothly.

What’s New With Bing & Yahoo Search Alliance

Jul 20, 2010 at 5:01pm ET by Barry Schwartz

Yahoo has provided an update on the current status of the transition over to Bing's search technology. On the organic side, Yahoo began testing Bing powered results. They are currently testing Bing powered results on about 25 percent of the traffic. They hope to transition over to Bing fully, sometime in September or October. That is, of course, if their tests go well. On the paid side, Yahoo is currently testing Bing powered ads, adCenter ads, on about 3.5% of the search queries. Yahoo has provided a detailed PDF document detailing the difference between the Yahoo and Microsoft ad [...]

Up To 25% Of Yahoo’s Search Results Now Powered By Bing

Jul 20, 2010 at 5:00pm ET by Barry Schwartz

Right now, up to 25% of the Yahoo Search results are powered by Bing. Yahoo began testing Bing search results this month, currently there are live bucket tests underway on both the organic and paid side. Mark Morrissey, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Yahoo, told me that while only 3.5% of the paid ads are being powered by Bing in their tests, up to 25% of the organic results can be powered by Bing. Yes, up to 25% of the time you go to Yahoo and conduct a search, it can be a Bing powered set of search results. How would you know? You won't necessarily see a "powered b [...]

Bing Cashback: Don’t Leave Your Piggybank On The Table

Jul 18, 2010 at 9:19am ET by Mike Kujanek

As early as Fall 2008, Microsoft set off on a crusade to openly evangelize what would become "Bing Cashback" with strategic agency partners and retail advertisers alike. The consumer rewards program was built to incent online shoppers with the purpose of influencing search behavior to gain repeat visitors and generate loyalty. Microsoft's goal would ultimately be to drive increased search revenue and market share. As an extension to adCenter search and Shopping listings, Bing Cashback held far-reaching promises of increased scale and brand enhancement for advertisers. It provided a unique l [...]

Yahoo Begins Testing Bing Powered Results This Month

Jul 15, 2010 at 12:53pm ET by Barry Schwartz

Yahoo sent out an email discussing some of the organic Yahoo-to-Bing transition topics that are on the mind of their advertisers. The email goes over typical questions and tips but adds some additional insight into launch and testing dates. Yahoo confirmed they are testing Bing powered results "offline," which we already know. But today, I believe for the first time, Yahoo has confirmed they will be testing Bing powered results in the live search results. The email wrote: Though much of our testing is already happening offline, this month we'll also test the delivery of organic and pai [...]

Think You’re Ready For The Microsoft-Yahoo Search Alliance? Maybe Not

Jul 8, 2010 at 3:14pm ET by Mike Kujanek

We're only one month away from the first phase of the Microsoft—Yahoo search alliance. Are you ready? By now, there have been numerous opinions published on the upcoming alliance, but not much to set tactical expectations. Some experts such as Kevin Lee of Didit.com and Bryan Weiner of 360i would claim that there won't be any impact to advertisers; others such as Chris Copeland of GroupM Search and Kevin Ryan of Motivity Marketing might beg to differ. Both Microsoft and Yahoo have been unusually coy. Most advertisers and agencies might find that their sales teams have tried to provide [...]

Yahoo, Once King Of Keyword Research Tools, Now Recommends Others (Including Google’s)

Jun 30, 2010 at 9:26am ET by Barry Schwartz

Yahoo published their very own Yahoo Style Guide this week. We took a look at the SEO basics section of the style guide and noticed Yahoo has a list of keyword research tools. In that list, Yahoo recommends everyone from their competitor, Google to 3rd party tools from WordTracker and Keyword Discovery. Many of you probably remember that Yahoo was the king of keyword research tools. Everyone used the Overture keyword tool, which lived at http://inventory.overture.com/. Yahoo, after acquiring Overture, slowly been killing this popular tool and finally laid it to rest two years ago today. [...]

Misplaced Concern: The FTC, Google, Apple & United Airlines

May 4, 2010 at 8:32am ET by Greg Sterling

Google was hoping that the announcement of Apple's iAd program would help with approval of the AdMob acquisition at the FTC. However that doesn't seem to be the case; Bloomberg reported on Friday that the FTC seemed poised to try and block the deal: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission staff is urging the filing of an antitrust suit challenging Google Inc.’s $750 million acquisition of AdMob Inc., according to three people familiar with the matter. It will be up to the five-member commission to decide whether to follow the staff’s advice or approve the deal. The people familiar with the matt [...]

Yahoo & Microsoft Receive Go Ahead To Implement Search Deal

Feb 18, 2010 at 11:12am ET by Barry Schwartz

Yahoo and Microsoft announced they have clearance to implement their proposed search deal where Microsoft will power Yahoo Search and search ads. Today they received "unrestricted" clearance from both the U.S. Department of Justice (see here) and the European Commission to proceed. And proceed they will. Yahoo said the implementation will begin in the next "days." Here is the announcement: Implementation of the deal is expected to begin in the coming days and will involve transitioning Yahoo!’s algorithmic and paid search platforms to Microsoft, with Yahoo! becoming the exclusive relatio [...]

Yahoo, Microsoft Close Search Deal

Dec 4, 2009 at 6:16pm ET by Matt McGee

It's somewhat ceremonial, but also an important milestone: Yahoo and Microsoft have announced the finalization and execution of the search deal that was first announced in late July. The companies issued this statement: "Microsoft and Yahoo! believe that this deal will create a sustainable and more compelling alternative in search that can provide consumers, advertisers and publishers real choice, better value, and more innovation. "Yahoo! and Microsoft welcome the broad support the deal has received from key players in the advertising industry and remain hopeful that the closing of t [...]

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