Yahoo Serps - Google

Has anyone heard anything? It looks like Yahoo is pure google results now

[Helpmebe1]

It looks to me like this is Yahoos new format..
A) To list Category Matches (Note this will not show hyperlinks or sites in the directory.. just a hyperlink to that category of yahoo

B) Show sponsored listings

C) Show google results

I hope this is not to stay... well not yet as I have not obtained by good rank in google yet. It looks like yahoo is no longer showing their directory listings in a search though.. I dont know if this is temporary or permanent.. but do a yahoo search and you will notice it takes the above format.

[martin]

You're quite right. And it's bad not only because one cannot get more inbound traffic, but because the Yahoo directory is a lot better than the mess in Google (only if it was as complete).

[vibgyor79]

Woaaah! You should be more careful with the title of your posts. I thought you were saying Google was buying out Yahoo! :)

Ashwin

[SuperSoup]

i love google but we need another search engine like google to ensure that prices for ads and big corps dont take over.. alltheweb is nice but not as revelant as google

[Hunter]

What are you folks talking about? If your referring to a search within the Yahoo directory, I'm afraid your looking at an aberration because all is normal and Google results will only show for "web pages" or of course a google search from yahoo.

[mmr82]

Every thing is normal here. BUT! i used to have this problem few weeks a go, and it was fixed without me doing anything i really don't know what the problem was. If you have netscape try to use it and you will get normal results

Regards,
Mohamed Rabea

[edited by: mmr82 at 4:25 am (utc) on Aug. 17, 2002]

[Beachboy]

Agree with Hunter, the directory is still there. Yahoo will never kill off the directory. They need the cash!

[Omni]

Hmm I'm totally lost. Everything's normal for me as well

[Helpmebe1]

[search.yahoo.com...]

Check something like the above out

[coconutz]

Using that link, I'm seeing Yahoo's search results from the directory. If I select Web Pages, only then do I see the Google results.

[Helpmebe1]

This is really weird because that totally is not what I am getting.. whats going on here??

[Omni]

Checked it as well and the results are normal... maybe there's some kind of settings done?

[web_india]

>>Using that link, I'm seeing Yahoo's search results from the directory. If I select Web Pages, only then do I see the Google results.

same here, must be something else

[Helpmebe1]

I am hearing if you delete your cookies and reopen your browser - that can change the results.. I havent tried it yet though.. seems like they are expermimenting for an upcoming change????? I wonder if this has anything to do with the Sept contract between yahoo and google? I am not sure what is going on but it seems split some people see the same thing I see, others dont.

Defintely something funky going on over their...

[Axacta]

I'm not sure if this is relevant, but lately I am seeing Yahoo as a referer by itself (not the Yahoo/Google referal), but my site is not listed in Yahoo. Could this be Yahoo substituting or filling in with Google results for their own without indicating it as the referer?

[2_much]

Yes, Yahoo has been randomly displaying straight Google results.

It switches back and forth between several different options.

I think they're testing user response.

[littleman]

Regarding cookies, I came at it both with and without cookies and got the same normal results. So lack of cookies isn't the trigger. I haven't seen google results yet on yahoo proper, I wonder if this is a glitch or a preview.

The move to the new homepage deemphasized the directory, maybe they are going to abandon it -- that sort of makes sense with their logic over the last year.

[web_india]

>> I think they're testing user response.

Does it indicate that google contract is not going to be renewed ?

[Helpmebe1]

I dont know.. but just food for thought.. if they display it this way.. they gain in two ways.. Ok.. we all pay 299 a year to be a part of google.. for the weight it carries on the web and for the results right off yahoo itself.. now being they are strapped and just posting their first profit in 7 quarters.. this would make sense.. if they keep it at this format.. they get the 299 a year to be in yahoo then, they start getting everyone to pay for the sponsored listings.. because they only show the hyperlink to that part of the directory (which very few will view), then the sponsored listings then the google results.. so.. people will want to have their site turn up at the top so they will pay and be a sponsored site.. so now the rush is on to be a sponsor site and ca ching.. their goes the cash register and money pooring in.. so they make money from sponsored sites, the 299 to be in yahoo.. double whammy! Anyone see logic in this? I hope I am wrong.. but could this be what is to come??? :(

[web_india]

if they are charging 299, why would they want to change to something which doesn't show the site's url only category ? no, they can't do that especially when already they are loosing market share to google and when they are making some money from these paid listings.

[chiyo]

Helpmebe2.. i think thats a pretty good analysis!

On top of that Yahoo has been de-emphasising the search functions for many months. I feel they dont think search is a good revenue earner now or for the future. Their key strategy I think is to be a portal competing with MSN and AOL. All thier services like email, stocks, chat, IM, are being upgraded ready for charging for them, if not already. Also all the services relate a major extent. A yahoo id is not unlike a MS passport. One log in for all services, and importantly synergies between them. Its is yahoo's post-free-web strategy, and what you say seems to be backing this up.

[mack]

I hate to say it but in my opinion this is Yahoo testing the water to ditch the directory. Yahoo are up with the best of then in terms of search but as a surfer I prefere google. If yahoo where to stop displaying directory results would the average surfer to yahoo even notice the difference.

[Grumpus]

I prognosticated on this theory [webmasterworld.com] over a month ago, and no one seemed to take me seriously. Oh well. :)

Anyway, I haven't seen the "missing directory restuls" as described here, but I have seen the new layout. I can be sure they happen, though, as about 1/3 of my yagoogle traffic is coming in from srd.yahoo (which is how they count clicks, right?). Wouldn't it be a hoot if Yahoo started using the ODP (or even L$ directory) for their directory?

Anyone planning on paying for a Yahoo listing this month? ;)

G.

[mack]

Grumpus!

What i find interesting about your post in that other thread was...

"I've noticed several deep crawls coming in from DEC (HP/Compaq) and IBM - both from Research Labs departments."

Just seams like a large coincidence that HP are a directory partner with yahoo! is it possible or fesable that yahoo could be planning it's own web pages search service?

or as a partner with hp????

[Grumpus]

I think that's unlikely. I think it's more likely that these other companies are guessing (educated or not) that Yahoo! wants out of the search biz. Yahoo, if getting out completely, but still wanting to offer a search function for their ISP/Portal service, is less likely to go with one that is already in the biz as most of them have their own competing products in one way or another. If, in fact, Yahoo is getting out of the search biz, it's a perfect time for a new player to arrive and develop a completely non-competing co-operative agreement. Yahoo provides internet access and content and keeps the bulk of any profits from those features, the other (whomever it turns out to be) provides search results and keeps the bulk of the profit from those features.

I think it's going to be really interesting to watch Yahoo over the next couple of months (maybe even weeks). But, then again, I've been saying that for about six weeks now, so who knows?

G.

[Helpmebe1]

Grumpus,
Wow.. you did call this one, I think back in July. What do you think? Is their anything we can do now, to prepare for what may come, i.e. submit to some other directory while the going is good, possibly free before they partner up with yahoo?

[coconutz]

Could this explain why some of us are seeing referrals from search.yahoo.com [webmasterworld.com] when we're not listed in the directory?

[mack]

In a way it makes sence for them to show pure google results. The yahoogle deal must have lead to yahoo owning at least a percentage of google. Surely it is in yahoos interest to have some contro over the no1 se.

[Conard]

We did this same dance at the begining of the month:
[webmasterworld.com...]
It does have to do with cookies and wheather or not you click on the web pages link all of the time.
If you are seeing Google results on Yahoo, just delete all of your Yahoo cookies and you will then see the regular Yahoo results.:)

[Helpmebe1]

conrad,
and how do we do that? I deleted all my cookies, didnt change a thing... and even if it did.. what about everyone else who is looking for us.. i.e. the normal public.