Yahoo rolling out more Inktomi?

percentages going up

[EquityMind]

I posted before that I was seeing Inktomi in my Yahoo SERPS and it appeared to be IP based since it was definately Ink at home and Google at my office computer. This has been the case for over a month now. However when I look at the percentages of traffic given over time, I noticed a huge shift today:

Last Monday:

Google: 43% of traffic
Yahoo: 20% of traffic

Today:

Google: 34.7 %
Yahoo: 29.8 %

This is a huge discrepancy considering that this is a site with several million unique visitors per month.

Is anyone else getting percentage of traffic discrepancies today like this? Is Yahoo rolling out more Inktomi as they slowly phase out Google?

EquityMind

[EquityMind]

Ok, today I am seeing something that is definatly NOT Inktomi pure search, nor is it Google either, its also not AWEB or AV, its looking more like mixed up Google serps. Wierd.

[steveb]

They've gone back to the unique results for my main keyword that have been showing for several months (the past two days or so they were just Google).

These results are very, very good. My own position is the same as in Google, but the other results in the top ten are stronger than Googles (#11 through #20 are much weaker but those are the weakest of the sites in Googles top twenty.)

The ordering seems to value the Directory quite a bit, as the most popular sites are at the top. If they used this algorithm everywhere, whatever it is, they would have some great serps.

I suppose this top ten could be manually created by hand so there would be no way this quality could be consistent, but there is always hope.

[shaadi]

Yahoo has become more confusing than Google - but never the less now delivers almost equal traffic compared to Google.

[panic]

I wonder if Yahoo! displays either Google or Inktomi results based on a cookie, IP, or hostname.

[WebmasterFisherman]

never noticed that myself but saw quite a bunch of posts from people saying their Yahoo serps were different on different PŅs using different ISPs. So there definitely must be some IP based differentiation.

[Powdork]

I'm now getting it in Cali. Noticed a spike in results from Yahoo Friday evening. Checked from work an hour ago and I was #3 in some strange Google type result from I don't know what datacenter. Checked from home and I am at #1 for many important keyphrases. Seems like I played it well this time as I just booked my ticket on the inktomi express.
Thanks for that thread [webmasterworld.com] caine

<added>the results I am seeing at home mirror pure search results</added>

[EquityMind]

I've been stockpiling Inktomi heavily and in some cases may be at risk for an overdose. i hope the strategy pays off in the long run, right now, its looking good for the short term.

EquityMind

[steverose]

FWIW most recent traffic:

79 google.com
40 search.msn.com
35 search.yahoo.com
14 google.ca
10 google.co.uk
6 google.com.au
5 aolsearch.aol.com
4 aolsearch.aol.co.uk
4 google.be
4 overture.com

[andy_boyd]

Still showing pure Google results in Northern Ireland - sounds like they are limiting the tests using IP ranges.

[jpalmer]

Gidday and Happy New Year! from downunder folks,

au.yahoo.com searches don't appear to be pure G anymore, although they still credit Google with the search technology.

Can't say I've seen a jump in referrals the way I did a few months back when AV awoke from it's slumber and started deep crawling again, when it went from zero referrals for over a year to top ten referrers (1-3% per week) consistantly.

I hope Yahoo uses AV for search, it'd be nice to see the old girl (guy?) back in the game. Besides, AV results are starting to look quite clean and relevant.

Although I still can't figure out why on earth they deprecated the directory so completely. I used to like a Yahoo search with results from the directory, kinda like they'd been double rinsed, IYKWIM. <grin>

And it would mean they still have room to move tweaking up INK to unleash on an unwary SEO/SEM industry.

Cheers to all and here's to a peaceful and prosperous 2004.
Hooroo
JP

[Jon_King]

All Y searches on my machine are now pure Ink. Are your searches Google or Ink?

[Mardi_Gras]

There has been intermittent testing going on for some time - some WebmasterWorld members have reported seeing Ink results for up to two weeks straight. But Google is still the order of the day.

I would really be surprised if Yahoo didn't make a big deal out of the launch of their own search engine. I wouldn't expect a quiet late Friday launch.

[cindysunc]

Seeing it to, i think the switch is on. I've seen spot testing but for the last hour Yahoo has been showing INK results for the terms i check. I doubt Yahoo would make a big announcement, i think they would just want to switch without making too much of it.

[snort]

I was seeing Inktomi on Yahoo for a couple weeks. Then I deleted my yahoo cookie and I'm back to google.

[Mardi_Gras]

>Seeing it to, i think the switch is on.

Sorry, this has been going on for weeks across the US. I don't think the switch is on :)

>I doubt Yahoo would make a big announcement

This will be biggest news at Yahoo in years. I can't imagine they won't use their new search engine to try to pull users from other portals. You could be right, but it would be a big blown opportunity if they don't try to capitalize on it.

[cindysunc]

I don't think they'll announce it because most people like and use Google. I don't think it will help saying that they're going to drop Google in favor of something else. I think they'll do it nice and quietly and then wait for reaction.

[a_chameleon]

Whether Yahoo is using inktomi can only be determined through an analysis of Yahoo SERPS and not the refferal percentages

I have the same conondrum.. And what exactly do I compare the Yahoo SERPS to? I don't know of anyway to view "pure" Inktomi results; all the Ink. portals filter their respective Ink returns differently; I ran the same search term on 7 different Ink partners and they are all vastly different.

& - How can i determine which results from Y! are Ink-based, and which are Google based..?

[Mardi_Gras]

>I don't think they'll announce it because most people like and use Google.

I don't think most people have a clue that Google provides Yahoo search results, aside from the little "Powered by Google" logo at the bottom of the page.

>I don't think it will help saying that they're going to drop Google in favor of something else.

From a marketing viewpoint, dropping Google isn't news. Unveiling great new search technology for Yahoo users is.

>I think they'll do it nice and quietly and then wait for reaction.

Search engines and portals generate very little news that users give a darn about. When you do have big news, make a big splash - don't slip quietly and unnoticed into the pool. What's the point in paying $235 million for Inktomi if you're embarrassed to tell your users about it?

If Yahoo was paying for my advice - which they, unfortunately, are not :), that's what I would tell them.

[worker]

>How can i determine which results from Y! are Ink-based, and which are Google based..?

If they are good, they are Google.

= )

[Mardi_Gras]

>If they are good, they are Google.

Let's not rehash the "which is better" thing again here ;) Let's just say you won't find unanimous consent on that issue and move on.

[panic]

I don't think they'll announce it because most people like and use Google. I don't think it will help saying that they're going to drop Google in favor of something else. I think they'll do it nice and quietly and then wait for reaction.

If that were the case, there wouldn't have been any press releases about Yahoo! switching to Inktomi results.

[Powdork]

When they use Google results the bottom of the search page will say "Search technology provided by Google".

Worker,
Not everything Google is good.;)

[worker]

I agree, but when I compare Google to Ink, there is no comparison. Google is so superior that it seems like a bad joke. I check about 10 different search phrases every couple of days because I can't imagine that Yahoo is going to make this change. They must have a different version of Ink that will be rolled out. If not, they'll be committing search suicide.

[Powdork]

Yes, other than the fact that my site is represented better on ink I would say Google is far superior. I wouldn't sat that about either AV or ATW, however. I wonder what the size of an index comprised of the Inktomi, ATW, AV indexes and Y! directory would be?

[jpalmer]

Greetings from downunder folks,

OK, this is starting to get interesting.

Just ran a couple of my "standard SERP searches" at yahoo.com.au, on "web" rather than "au". SERPs defaults to au.yahoo.com;

Still quoted as powered by google (but looks a bit cleaner than a straight Google SERP, maybe they're double rinsing ;-) with INK or AV?)
[looks like where you're in the directory, it pulls the description from there, and goes with meta description otherwise. And it does look to have a "cleaner" aesthetic than G SERPS IMO]

Indicative yahoo directory top level cat. in top possie above SERPs (not that it's worth much, it's pretty easy to overlook)

"Sponsored" links provided by L$ above SERPs,

And what looks like google adwords [actually to yahoo "info" sections] down the RHS.

Looks like a clean transition taking place at our end, with good SERPS and no cannabilising of current arrangements.

Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets please ...

Cheers and Hooroo
JP

[edit 4pm DST]

[Doyle]

I am in the South East USA and I no longer see G results on Yahoo. Is there a way to see pure Inktomi to see if Yahoo is adjusting the results?
Doyle

[Yidaki]

You forgot the question mark in your post title.

>Is there a way to see pure Inktomi

search.positiontech.com

[Sanenet]

yahoo.com has removed "Search technology powered by Google" (still on the other language domains), and results on .com are very different from Googles. yahoo.co.uk, etc, SERPS seem to be exactly the same as Googles?

[Birdman]

Seeing Google results here(Maryland, USA) on yahoo.com.

[helenp]

I am in Spain, and are still listed in yahoo.com, arenīt included in Inktomi, so itīs google