In This Corner…The Search Tag Team Power House
The process will involve porting Yahoo’s algorithmic and paid search platforms to Microsoft and making Yahoo the sole relationship sales force for both companies’ premium search advertisers worldwide.
Once the transition is complete, the companies’ unified search marketplace will benefit consumers, advertisers and Web publishers by delivering innovations, monetization opportunities and a larger pool of search queries, the companies said.
The approval is particularly significant, given the failure of a similar attempt by Yahoo and Google in 2008.
The Microsoft-Yahoo deal has already been cleared by regulators in Australia, Brazil and Canada; the companies are now working with regulators in Korea, Taiwan, and Japan to ensure that they have what they need to evaluate the arrangement before implementing it in those particular jurisdictions.
Under terms announced last summer, Microsoft will provide Yahoo with the same search result listings that are now available through Bing.
Yahoo will enhance listings with organized information about key topics, and it will provide new tools for Yahoo users to tailor their search experience.
Microsoft will provide the underlying platform, but both companies will continue to create different ways to compete for search users and clicks.
Yahoo’s sales team will solely represent high-volume advertisers, and SEO and SEM agencies, in addition to resellers and their clients. Microsoft will represent and support self-service advertisers.
Both of these companies will begin working closely with partners well in advance of their planned transition to the Microsoft platform and will be sure to communicate regularly through all the traditional means as well as the newly created Search Alliance Web site.
The goal set for completing the transition of algorithmic search in the U.S. is the end of 2010 – not a deadline.
