Ya-Soft? Micro-hoo? But it`s still all about the SEO

Google`s beaten them both separately for the best part of a decade but can the search engine giant take them on if the merger goes through? And what does it hold for Internet Marketing but more importantly, search engine optimization?

If you haven`t heard Microsoft has made a bid proposed to be worth $44.6 billion in cash and stock for number two in the search engine stakes, Yahoo. Opening up a corporate struggle to choose what exactly to keep and what to get rid of. Both companies have been behind Google with the services they offer, choosing in some cases to buy other online companies and adopt or rebrand new services into their own image. Either developed in house or acquired the three companies have essentially produced a set of services that are identical when it comes to Internet Marketing. Obviously the main ones the Natural Search team here at JS concentrate on are the search engine services.

Now when it comes to NSEO (Natural search engine optimisation) I always tend to say to my clients, “Well what we do concentrates on Google and we tend to find that Yahoo and Microsoft follow suit afterwards”. The main question for us is, is that going to change? My opinion is that I hope so. For one thing it`ll keep us a little more on our toes when it comes to the lesser two. Another thing is if they decide to merge the search services it`ll possibly give a lesser search engine the opportunity to step up and compete.

What do I think will happen if the bid is accepted? I hope that Microsoft`s Live Search gets dropped and Yahoo Search gets a rebrand. What I think will happen is that Live Search will just end up using Yahoo`s engine but will keep its front end. Much like what AOL and Virgin Media do with Google. Similarly I think Yahoo will be given a rebrand not that dissimilar to ours when we merged with GetUpdated and had to include their logo within ours.
From JS`s point of view I don`t much think that any merger will have an effect on how we do what we do. The main fundamentals of SEO, and to some extent paid advertising, are the same across the three companies.

• Links
• Site structure
• Content

We won`t need to change how we deliver these services but maybe the quantities(links) and coverage(site structure and content) will have to be looked at.
In any way it sure looks to be both an exciting and worrying time over at Microsoft and Yahoo. Will the merge be the answer to combating Google`s might? I`m sure the same question could be proposed to Benito Mussolini regarding WWII if he were still alive that is.

Martin
NSEO Project Manager

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