Microsoft: Windows Live Search

Archived Posts from this Category

Thu 30 Apr 2009

Microsoft Live Blog Starts SEM Instruction

Posted by Admin under Latest Info, Microsoft: Windows Live Search

The people over at the Microsoft Live Search blog have started a series of SEM posts intended to help train people.

The SEM 101 posts are intended “to help folks who suddenly find themselves responsible for promoting their organization’s website. I’ve seen many visitors in the forums who ask basic questions, so I know there is an audience for this line of articles. I personally know many folks in my life outside work (there is such a thing, right?) who manage websites for their businesses but know little-to-nothing of SEM.”

I will be keeping an eye on how these posts develop and what level of information is shared. It is always interesting to watch the keeper of the algorithm help people improve there position in the results without tipping their hands to the factors influencing the algorithm.

 

Wed 24 Dec 2008

Microsoft to Announce Second Quarter Earnings January 22, 2009

Posted by Admin under Latest Info, Microsoft: Windows Live Search

Microsoft will announce second quarter earnings (their fiscal year begins July 1) on January 22, 2009.

A live webcast will be available at 2:30pm PST at http://www.microsoft.com/msft.

It will be interesting to see if anything is said about Cashback and its affect on Live Search. In November came word that the program was working. But a glitch on Black Friday turned some Cashback customers sour.

Still, the program expanded to offer instant Cashback on eBay purchases made via PayPal.

Of course, Microsoft is much more than a search company, but with recent hires coming into the company from Yahoo, we’ll be looking for any statements made about search during the call.

 

Mon 24 Nov 2008

Is Live Search Renaming A Miva Move?

Posted by Admin under Latest Info, Microsoft: Windows Live Search

Seems Microsoft is moving to finalize the renaming of Live Search to Kumo, according to LiveSide.net. The possibility has been discussed at various times this year.

Renaming and branding moves by search engines have not had much luck. Ask.coms removal of Jeeves seemed to hurt them, FindWhat and eSpotting merger and rename to Miva definitely impacted the companies, so there is data for not making the changes.

True GoClick to Overture went okay – but then they had a great product in a growing market – just like BackRub and Google…. but that was really prepublic launch.

If the move goes through will be well worth tracking.