FAST: We're in talks with Yahoo

[heini]

Knut Magne Risvik from FAST yesterday confirmed - yes, we are in close talks with Yahoo.
Itkanalen.com [itkanalen.com]

Risvik doesn't even deny possible partnerships with MSN...

[Rugles]

I agree Brett.
I love Google, use it everyday but it is too dangerous to have all my eggs in one basket.
Plus,I rank a little higher with some keywords in Fast and they do not delete my doorway pages (big plus). So I expect my traffic will increase slightly with a Fast/Yahoo partnership.

I am ready...... bring it on.

[mayor]

I've been rooting for Fast for a long time.

They have appeared to be webmaster-friendly, asking for feedback from the webmaster community on at least a couple of occasions that I can remember.

I also understand they run a lean operation so maybe they won't be out trying to clean out our coffers through "monetization" campaigns.

And IMHO they do serve relevant, up-to-date and deep-crawled results. I've found myself using them almost as much as Google in the last couple of months.

But most importantly, Google needs a serious competitor for the benefit of all concerned.

[Brett_Tabke]

It's not just that Rugles. Have you spent some time using AllTheWeb lately? It's so different from just a year ago. They've rather quietly flushed it all out.

[RuglesHome]

Yes, when I saw this thread I spent 20 minutes checking out the improvements. They have come a long way in the last year. I like it and I also like the fact they do not seem to have problems with dynamic pages. I wish them luck and I am nuetral on Yahoo's decision (Although I do not want Ink to get the contact).
It is a good engine and wish them well.

[brotherhood of LAN]

I'd love to see FAST move in here

If G and Fast were roughly equal forces, maybe SE's will get "better" - faster.

Also, no PR related probs :)

[CromeYellow]

This is fantastic news (I reckon).

Any reduction of Google's increasing monopoly has to be good for the landscape.

And then there's always the PR penalty :)

When you say 'the ink's dry' Brett, do you mean that the Yahoo/FAST deal is done?

[zechariah]

Based on those talks, I guess Fast stocks just went up ? :) or even Yahoo

[makemetop]

Well, if it happens, getting in Yahoo's backfill results in 24 hours through PFI will be very nice!

IMHO - FAST would be a worthy supplier to Yahoo - they have built a great engine and worked hard to become a strong rival to Google. The added bonus is I do rather well with them :).

Still, it's not over 'til it's over. Whatever happens, I think (hope) I have all bases covered.

[chris_f]

I personally think this is bad. I'd prefer Y! to stay GG. I'm #1 in GG and FAST has dropped some of my sites from #1 to over 200. Can I get a response? No. At least with GG you get a reply.

_{What's wrong with putting all your eggs in one basket? It's very good if your the #1 egg and nothing happens to you ;)}

[Napoleon]

My main concern, IF the switch actually happens, is not the backfill results. It is the implications for the Yahoo serps(which currently use PR) - and also whether the Yahoo directory inclusion PR boost for Google would continue.

From a selfish standpoint I have never fared well with FAST, so I'd rather they stick with Google from a short term perspective. Yes, from a longer term perspective though, it would certainly mitigate risk and over dependency on a single source (and reduce the PR0 fear factor). Another negative for FAST though is that it is PFI (or a long wait), whereas Google of course is free for entry.

[angiolo]

This is a good lesson.

We still should try to rank fine in any mayor engine, because it seems like a volley ball game: players swith position!

Probably European could be advantaged: optimizing for Fast is a must to do for European.

[mayor]

>>getting in Yahoo's backfill results in 24 hours through PFI will be very nice!

Absolutely! Can you imagine ... Yahoo big spenders stampeding your site without having to wait a couple of months, or forever.

[BrunoDillen]

Quoted :
"to be or not to be Google

to be or not to be Alltheweb "

Ok, I agree, but you have to use google the correct way, just put to be or not to be between "" on Google and you'll get much more relevant information.

[Orion]

I just wanted to say that no partner (read: Yahoo) likes to have any advance notice or hints of an upcoming partnership (in this case, FAST, Inktomi or Google), so I suspect it is still very much a three horse race. Yahoo could also extend their current partnership with Inktomi for a few months, and hold off on making a decision if the terms being proposed by several parties are really compelling.

I have no idea who will win the partnership, but here are my reasons for why all 3 have a great chance.

FAST
* clearly has improved the quality of the results
* has the ability to provide the service level requirements and speed that big partners need.
* has some really creative technology for foreign languages.
* supposedly has a really good cost position, and hence can propose a really low price.

but
* limited advances in Paid Inclusion. Unclear FAST can pay for the deal, given that company has just broken even (I think) and algorithmic web search is just one part of the biz.
* limited position in U.S. (Lycos)

Inktomi

Say what you will about Inktomi, they have proven they can work with big partners (MSN, and AOL in the past), and are probably the most advanced on Paid Inclusion. But clearly they have some corporate problems. If they lose this one, MSN then has them by the collar. (As RealNames found out, not a great position to be in). Inktomi would probably have to pay Yahoo for the deal, and hope to make it back in Paid Inclusion.

Google
* Obviously the best algorithmic engine and still has all the buzz.
* Will Yahoo be willing to pay through the nose to get Google again (and the reputation factor)? Is Google content with just being the unpaid search provider?

I would not rule out Google yet, although that in that case, Google really has the negotiating leverage (I would argue).

Unfortunately I think neither Teoma or Wisenut is ready for a big partner (experience, scalability, etc), although in another 2 years (assuming the Yahoo deal is again for 2 years), they might be in a great position if they survive.

The Search world remains fascinating.

BTW I've been an avid reader of these forums for several years and am glad that I am now in a position to start contributing.

[Rumbas]

Welcome out of lurking mode Orion :)
Good points. I do too think that nothing is final yet, but personally I would love to see Fast getting it. They have the technology and experience to handle it.

So have both Ink and Google, but it would be nice to see some "fresh meat" on the search engine scene for once.