Overture results for the new MSN SE?

MSN's new Search Engine....

[yycowns]

...Still going to be showing ppc results from Overture or what?

[rbarker]

If I remember correctly MSN just extended their PPC agreement with Y for one more year. But...I think MSN hired O's top guy earlier this year.

[johnnydequino]

MSN is under contact with Yahoo until June 2005. After that, say goodbye. PPC competition is going to be great - for PPC users and not companies. Watch.

Welsh

[shorebreak]

IMO it'll be late 05 to early 06 before Overture loses any big piece of the MSN distribution.

[davec]

I believe the deal has now been extended from June 2005 to June 2006. Looks like Microsoft have a fair amount of work to do to produce a PPC engine.

d

[TinkyWinky]

may as well do it properly and ensure it is better and simpler to use than Overtures' - with some proper training for the staff ;)

[eWhisper]

Overture has indeed extended their MSN contract through June 2006.

Their last contract was non exclusive, as they also showed Looksmart results.

Haven't checked if this was is exclusive or not, but if it's not, MSN could start to use both PPC results if they build their own engine.

[johnw1234]

You better warm up that ancient "B Central" account. Microsoft could turn out a PPC engine in a heartbeat and redirect it's traffic around Overture.

Think about it, Microsoft rarely gets involved in anything that it doesn't intend to dominate. Their own crawler, a new database, the next generation Windows due out soon... A PPC is probably coming along with Longhorn.

Pesonally, I'd love to see a 3rd ppc. Especially with Microsoft behind it. You never know what clever way they'll integrate it into every computer on earth.

[Tropical Island]

Even if MS brought a PPC engine on-line they would need time to sign up advertisers.

This would probably indicate that running their own ads along with Over's for a year or so while they built up their customer base would be a good idea. No loss of income!

It will be interesting to see what the minimum bids would be - 5¢ like Google which has been really succesful at bringing in small advertisers or 10¢ like Over (or more in Europe) and eliminate the small guys.

Many of my key words in Over that used to have 4 or 5 adveritsers are now down to 1 or 2. Luckily we are still grandfathered on many terms at 5 or 6¢ or we would have deleted them.