Yahoo SERPs May Be Changing - to Bing!

It May Be Prudent to do Some Research

[martinibuster]

According to a report by AdAge entitled, Do You Bing? [adage.com], a deal is reported in the works between Yahoo and Microsoft. The important detail for search marketers that depend on Yahoo SERPs or would like to have Yahoo referrals concerns Yahoo's reported agreement to use BING as their search product. This will enable Yahoo to save money on Search R&D. If true, this change may cause a disruption in your traffic and earnings, and call for a reconsideration of search strategy.

While it's premature to start adapting search strategies for Bing, it may be prudent to get a jump on the competition by doing research now in case the deal goes through.

I am NOT advocating changes to your site because a deal has not been announced. However it makes sense to look into Bing and make your evaluations and plan a strategy so that if this is what is coming down the road, you will be that much more ahead of your competition.

How well do you rank on Bing? You may want to research what factors influence Bing ranking and think about how that can safely be integrated into future optimization efforts if a deal with Yahoo is announced.

[MLHmptn]

Thank you MS! I seriously hated Yahoo! Yahoo support was beyond terrible, it was horrific! I have waited for this day for a long time! See you later Yahoo and thanks for nothing!

[Eurydice]

Very odd news about Yahoo search. I started on Yahoo when it was still running from a dorm room at Stanford; I've been to parties at the founders' home in Palo Alto. And now, Yahoo is dropping out of the search game.

It's not all bad for Yahoo: they will get 88% of Bing's PPC revenues for the next five years.

I hope Y!'s Site Explorer doesn't disappear. It's really useful.

I'm very glad to see serious competition against Google. Google will be forced to actually pay attention to users and stop being so paranoid secretive.

[Jessica]

when do you think we will start seeing Bing search results on Yahoo?

[BillyS]

>>when do you think we will start seeing Bing search results on Yahoo?

The day after never.

[martinibuster]

Yahoo is doing this because they will save $450 Million dollars. This is real. It will happen. There are no hard dates beyond sometime in the next year or two.

[randle]

There are no hard dates beyond sometime in the next year or two.

They could do it much quicker than that if they wanted to, so the question is why so much of a prolonged approach?

Someone has to have their foot on the break just a bit.

[TinkyWinky]

I read that this will be a white label - can't remember where i read it - which surely can't be so - can it?

What's the point of powering Yahoo!s search if Bing.com can attribute their brand - that's how they will build long term awareness and usability.

I realise that offically they get attributed traffic and reach - but it won't be true reach when the average dimbo-user will think it's still Y!'s and will never actually go to Bing.com to find out more.

Someone please tell me I read some rumour/conjecture only.