panic - 4:44 pm on Oct 10, 2003 (gmt 0)

Christoph,

2. We are loosing our SERPs since October, 1st in HotBot and MSN.com as well

Though you may be ranked #1 on one of those engines, that doesn't mean that you're going to be ranked #1 on the other engine.

3. Hotbot and MSN.com belong to different companies with their individual business goals.

But they currently share the same search provider.

4. Itīs highly improbable that both companies acted synchronously regarding the filtering and dropping of listings.

Exactly... it's done internally at Inktomi.

5. So the different algorithm of Hotbot/MSN compared to that of Inktomi/PureSearch has been applied before the weighed data/results were transferred to Hotbot/MSN.

They all have completely different algorithims, and they all weigh certain content differently. But again, the share the same "database" (not sure if you can call it that, but for argument's sake, I will)

7. a) Yahoo owns Inktomi. They may consider to transfer all the dropped Inktomi listings to their search results while Inktomi continues delivering the altered (for all of us horrific) data to MSN.com and Hotbot. So all PFI clients still are included in Hotbot and MSN.com (with bad positions) and additionally in Yahoo with better rankings. Perhaps the PFI clients have to pay an extra fee for that...And MSN/Hotbot will show less relevant results (competitors). b) Or maybe itīs a warning shot against MSN not to cancel the contract with Yahoo-owned Overture.

Uh... what? You were kind of all over the place with that one, but I think I know what you're asking. The sites that have been dropped from, or have editorial actions, will stick no matter where the results are being pulled from (Y!, HotBot, MSN, etc). Those sites will not come back as long as Inktomi is providing their search product.

8. In consequence of a) Yahoo would have to do something with their actual Google listings

Yeah... they're going to drop their Google listings. Why would they keep Google results if they spent all that money buying Inktomi?

9. I think we will have some breaking news soon.

I wouldn't count on it. Sources tell me that Yahoo! was trying to have Inktomi results before the holidays, but it looks less likely now.

-panic