Has something happened to MSN Search Recently?

MSN Live Search slowdown

[TravelPixel]

Im aware that MSN search has become live search recently and Id like to know if anyone can tell me whether they have seen a reduction in the MSN bot visiting their sites over the last two weeks?

Our site was pretty regularly crawled until recently - has there been a major change in their engine? Ive noticed the bot is not crawling as often and doesnt touch any deep pages in a similar manner to yahoo or google.

Ive read bits and pieces from this forum but would like to know a definitive answer if at all possible!

[leapforward]

As of 11/11/2006, MSN crawling of one of my major sites has ground to a halt. MSN used to crawl on average more than 1,000 pages per day. Google and Yahoo still crawl over 5,000 pages per day.

[Praxus]

I'm seeing a big reduction in .blogspot spam, and more authorative sites
are at least making an appearance in the top results.

Definitely a significant change for the better.

[BillyS]

>>I'm seeing a big reduction in .blogspot spam, and more authorative sites

Not in the sector I follow.

[asiaseo]

When I access msn/live from the Australian site, i.e ninemsn, the results are, in my opinion, excellent. But when I go straight to live/msn then in my opinion the results are not so good.
I don't know if any filter or algo change is used but the Australia, Singapore sites continue to give good results even when searching for something in Canada, US or Europe.
I have no idea why the results should be so different, anyone any ideas?
I don't see spam or blogs getting high ranking on ninemsn or Singapore.

Could it be that if a lot of English language sites from places such as Asia, Australia/NZ etc are filtered out they actualy 'open the door' to less authorative or simply not as good websites?
Wish there was an answer.

They could do a lot worse than using those Australia ninemsn results worldwide.

[crobb305]

Not sure what all has happened, but in my opinion, things have taken a turn for the worse during the past month or two. Blogspots, subdomains, etc ranking very well, much slower bot crawling, etc. Bad time of year for them to let things go.

[webmasterworld.com...]

I'm seeing a big reduction in .blogspot spam, and more authorative sites

Not from where I sit.

[Garya]

Looks like poor results untill after chrismas, just a play to get more advertising $$ from there ad center. using poor results, just copying google but they don;t have the traffic to pull it off.
They also need to tone down there domain name match to keyword search.

[crobb305]

The whole situation is pitiful. Getting worse and worse by the day. On the big phrase I watch in the financial sector, 5 of the top 10 are blogspots. It is as if they have completely lost interest, and our main rep from MSN has completely gone quiet.

[followgreg]

I think that you are right: they lost interest.

Wonder how it feels to start straight off with bells and whistles, "I will kill Google!" they were saying....now look where you are 2 years later...pitiful. Even the basics are not there anymore.
How can you be the largest software company in the world with billions or dollars in R&D and fail to that degree...I once hoped. now I am convinced that they played us, they've lost the war vs Google and they did not really try too hard IMO, flakes..

[RichTC]

Yep, waste of what could have been a great alternative, it now looks like it was indeed all talk and no action - shame.

I think the third horse after Google and Yahoo could well be ask now. I noticed their results improving over time whilst msns have declined.

The big problem for msn i think is them trying to offer to much to soon. Rather than being focused 100% on producing a great search engine they have been dabbling in other areas trying to take on everything that google offer rather than do one thing of quality.

Waste of what could have been something very special in the market

[crobb305]

The big problem for msn i think is them trying to offer to much to soon

They also refused to take action against Blogspot crap.

[followgreg]

>> The big problem for msn i think is them trying to offer to much to soon

I think that they had enough time to do better than that.
Talk is cheap at MS corp.
They know what to do, they can't make it happen, even if pulling up the current terrible results is aimed to support their financial quarter with PPC. I harly see this as a long term strategy.

Remember MSN guys, when webmasters are upset with you then they forget about you, then you can focus entirely on fixing Windows vista :)...

[crobb305]

I don't understand why MSNdude has gone so quiet. I realize he does not have to talk to us at all. But, he was so helpful over the summer. That is part of why it seems they have "lost interest". They were excited for a while back in July, about ongoing changes. Then, it just stopped. All the positive changes they made were reversed, Blogspot once again FILLS the serps. It is absolutely pitiful.

[trinorthlighting]

I do not think MSN dude is working for microsoft search any longer.

[surftrack]

why do you say that trinorth? do you know something the rest of us don't?

[crobb305]

If he isn't still working there, then MSN just completely gave up on search improvements.

[tictoc]

I hope this thread is wrong and MSN Dude is just on vacation. He was the best thing that happened to MSN Search/live search.

He may have got hired from Google :) Even Seroundtable is picking up on the MSNDude rumors.

I did not see a big presence from MSN at the Webmaster World convention. Maybe they are on the verge of a Yahoo buyout (since the heads are a rollin' memo). Something big must be in the works!

[surftrack]

from what i understand, msndude is a shared title by different msn employees. I for one am holding on to hope that they are burning the candles at both ends to fix the current state of the SERPS.

[trinorthlighting]

Last time he posted was October 18th. I have a feeling either he is not working for microsoft any longer or they pulled him to another product line now that live is up and running.

Rumors have it that microsoft is trying to play a little catch up on google and rolling out their own version of adsense so it would make sense that they pull in their search team to start to roll that product line out.

Who knows, may be he will respond...