MSN buying their way to search domination via Adwords

If you can't beat em, join em... Cheeky !

[renomart]

Whilst searching for 'widgets' (Google Australia) I noticed that MSN Live Search has been actively buying Adwords spots for any search term entered via the Google search engine.

When I clicked on the sponsored listing I was directed to the Windows Live search engine where a dropdown box had this information displayed;

"With a search engine this good, why search for 'widgets' anywhere else?
Millions of Australians have discovered Live.com combines the best of Web Search
with Images, News and Maps. Install some of our handy features below."

Then they give you 3 options;

1. Get Search Toolbar
2. Change your browser Search
3. Make this your home page

Anyone else see this or is this old news?

[mattg3]

Ahhh the Seatlle greedodrome is rearing it's unacademic head .. Bill Gates is meanwhile concentrating on charity... you couldn't make it up if you tried ..

[nadia]

To Renomart ,

You mean for Google Australia when you entered serach term then click on sponsor search on google page then the ads will go directly to Live.com , It's right?

Nadia

[renomart]

That's right, Nadia.

[nadia]

Did you have a problem with page rank drop down on your site?

[nadia]

To Renomart ,

can you give example any search term that you use then I will check on my side too ,

Thanks
nadia

[renomart]

OK.

Just did a search for 'real estate investment'.

In the sponsored links on right hand side, they appeared at position #5 with;

Property Investment
Search for property investment
Search today!

[tedster]

Note that our Google Forum Charter [webmasterworld.com] prohibits specific search terms. I'm going to allow an exception in this one case.

Not seeing this in the US - bu in Australia the ads are using www.live.com.au as their display url.

[nadia]

All of sponsor search are go directly to their site didn't shown up live.com

[renomart]

Sorry Tedster...

Yes, you are right about the URL.

Maybe Live are just targeting Australia for a while and not Thailand.

[Vimes]

;)

i think we've blown their daily budget on that Search Term,

not seeing it now :)

Vimes.

[vincevincevince]

Google should take the funds thus obtained and spend them, cent-for-cent, on purchasing traffic from Microsoft's own services.

"Prefer Google? Click here to search again with Google"

[matrix_neo]

That is great news, I would be happy to see some competition. Infact I am hoping to see some significant improvement from msn interms of quality and marketing, after that bill gates interview about search industry.

[Keniki]

Well it shows google are fair. I wonder if bill gates will allow ads for google on there search too. Not that they need to. They were recently voted the most popular brand in the world.