Yahoo closes Inktomi deal

how long til SERPs change?

[Camster]

press release [biz.yahoo.com]

"Bringing together a powerful combination of Yahoo!'s global audience and unmatched breadth and depth of services with Inktomi's leading search technology, will allow us to create one of the most relevant, comprehensive and highest quality search offerings on the Web for both our affiliate partners and Yahoo!," said Terry Semel, Yahoo! chairman and CEO.

"The acquisition enables Yahoo! to integrate Inktomi's world-class technology throughout the network as well as offer more value to consumers and businesses through programs such as paid inclusion, which provide higher-quality commercial search results," Semel added.

[nicebloke]

hooray.

[Marcia]

Terry Semel, Yahoo! chairman and CEO:

"The acquisition enables Yahoo! to integrate Inktomi's world-class technology throughout the network as well as offer more value to consumers and businesses through programs such as paid inclusion, which provide higher-quality commercial search results"

They kept it under wraps until finalized, but now that it's a done deal it doesn't seem there's any doubt where Yahoo search is headed.

A switch to Ink will give us more diversity to work with, which certainly won't hurt a lot of us, but what I'm wondering is what will happen to the Pay-for-Inclusion pricing.

Inktomi now cheaper than Alta Vista, it's hard to imagine the prices not going up substantially.

[Alphawolf]

Does anyone know for sure that Y! will replace Google's results with Ink's?

I'd find that odd given Ink's database gives me weird results. Or- did from search.positiontech

Why would Y! replace a comprehensive index like G's with an index that is based on paid inclusion?

What's the common speculation on if/when Y! would switch and WOULD Y! switch from G to Ink as their default results?

TIA

AW

[Tor]

Does anyone know for sure that Y! will replace Google's results with Ink's?

If you have read the interview with Terry Semel there is no doubt thet they will replace Googles results with Inktomi.

[Bobby_Davro]

Presumably, this is why Yahoo were quick to point out that the renewed Google deal, not so long ago, wasn't exclusive. However, are they not obliged by that arrangement to continue using Google to some extent?

[Skylo]

You have to think though what would be stopping Yahoo and Inktomi from working together so as to improve on searches etc. Then Y could honour their deal with google and just use them for backfills? Correct me if I'm wrong but this is a good oppertunity to give Google a good run for it's money from Y's point of view;)

[JustTrying]

I agree with skylo, I think that this could be a great opportunity for Yahoo! to get some real power in the Search market if they do the right investments into Inktomi (assuming they improve the Inktomi algo -- and win the hearts and minds of millions of people around the world with pure and unbiased results -- and... well, I guess this means that Yahoo! has a fair amount of work ahead of them).

[Skylo]

I will second that Just, they have their work cut out for them but I think the within the year we should see some interesting developments........watch this space:)

[elmaestro]

Rather than use Inktomi and then backfill with Google...I think that it would make sense for Yahoo to look to blend the two - Google is perceived as the best, so they can't can it, and they do have the non-exclusive agreement with them, so it looks like the only option is to use the google listings combined with inktomi and paid inclusion listings, which will result in their own search product (to rival Google's). They lessen their dependence on Google, while still being able to leverage the value of the G brand, and at the same time complement that (cost) with revenues from ink and PFI.

[CuriousWeb]

> Why would Y! replace a comprehensive index like G's with an index that is based on paid inclusion?

I have seen a lot more activity from slurp on non payed sites so I think the non-paid inclusion into the index is going to be a lot more...

[MrSpeed]

I could envision Yahoo getting rid of Google and Overture and then use Ink and their own version of a PPC program.
It would be foolish to do away with free inclusions. The "free" content is what gets people to use search engines and portals. It's no different than any other media.

As far as Ink changing their algo, it must be incredibly difficult to do. You would think with the success of Google you would've seen a lot of the older search engines change their algos to be more competitive. AV, infoseek, webcrawler, excite etc. really never did anything to step up to the plate.

[nipear]

I'm already seeing a different algo on two search terms. In the current Y serps for these related terms the top ten are all in the directory. Then #11 is the first result from google which is not in the directory/first 10 results and so on like this. I've looked at the pure search results not even close, the directory results are very different also. SO I don't know where these results are coming from. Or what is influencing them. My guess is an algo on the directory for the first 10 then backfilled by google.

But on both terms top 10 are THE SAME results. The terms are a category name, and the 2nd word of the category.

I'm at home so I'll more into this at work in a couple hours.

If any of the mods want the terms, sticky me.

PS. I've checked these terms from work and home so I don't think it's a random cookie based test...

[JudgeJeffries]

Everyone seems to assume that Yahoo and Inktomi will continue in their current modus operandi.
I certainly seem to get a lot of visits from slurp, certainly more than googlebot, especially recently.
Whats to stop Yahoo becoming a Google clone using slurps results.

[Crabby]

YooHoo! Ink's paid inclusion has been very good to me for a couple of sites. This will be like having an extra Christmas.

[percentages]

Bring it on Y! not a day to soon....I sure would like to see Ink results as your default search engine again.

[Jigit]

My sites at google and inktomi are coming up very nicely. I guess optimizing for google will get you good results at inktomi as well. Good luck to all!

[Bobby_Davro]

I was just pondering the Yahoo purchase of Inktomi and wondering how they would use it. Given that Inktomi operates a pay-for-inclusion model, it wouldn't surprise me if Yahoo use this to encourage submissions to their directory. In other words, Yahoo will quite possibly offer directory submission as a combined directory + Inktomi submission deal.

This would also make sense from a quality perspective. It would mean that sites included have been visited and tested by a real person.

Just a thought.