Nov/080
So What Does the Microsoft-Yahoo Deal Mean to the SEO World?
Microsoft and Yahoo just announced a 10 year pact for Microsoft to provide search results to Yahoo through their new being the search engine. This deal, while likely good for both parties, still does not close the gap enough to make Google sweat profusely.
The two have been doing a dance for roughly a year and a half, and just when it seemed like Yahoo was ready to get further into bed with Google, this deal finally gets sealed. Under the terms of the deal, Microsoft will pay Yahoo 88% of the revenue generated on Yahoo's sites, but they will not pay Yahoo any upfront money which is good for Microsoft as it attempts to close the gap on search market behemoth Google. Combining the two would give Microsoft's new Bing search engine roughly 30% of the search market which is a little over three times what it currently generates.
While it is too early to predict Bing's true competitive staying power, early opinions seem to suggest that it is a significant upgrade over MSN search and offers unique options to searchers looking for additional information when they conduct a search online.
For the search engine optimization (SEO) world, not a whole lot has changed (yet) because Microsoft's new search engine functions and operates somewhat similarly to that of Google. Link building, quality content, tagging, and user generated content (opinions, feedback, audio, videos, ratings, etc.) appear to carry a lot of weight just as they do with Google. That's not to suggest that Bing is trying to be a better Google, but with greater than 60% market share, would that be such a terrible strategy for Microsoft?
So what does this mean for your business? Well, it is another opportunity to attract new eyeballs especially if this deal creates momentum for the partnership while closing the gap on Google. It also means Google will likely take rapid action to counter this move which means searchers should benefit all the way around through more free content. Hopefully, for paid search advertisers, it provides respite from the dreaded "Google Slap" along with legitimate competition to decrease search marketing expenses. This could also provide an opportunity for organic SEO practitioners to carve out a niche by targeting Microsoft's new search engine as opposed to trying to reverse engineer Google's algorithm in an attempt to improve rankings. That said, the tenets of successful search optimization should remain your focus as a business owner and search engine marketer.
In the meantime, keep on keeping on just as you have but keep your eyes peeled just in case Microsoft finally "sneaks" up on Google (giggle).
