Yahoo and Microsoft recently announced their ad-revenue sharing model. Microsoft’s new search engine Bing will power Yahoo search. Yahoo (currently number two in the search game) will receive .88 cents per dollar of search revenue (for the first five years of the ten year deal), and Bing, in turn, will be powering Yahoo’s and Microsoft’s online searches – a 28% market share.

What does this all mean?

For starters, powering 28% of online searches could teach Bing a few things about search behavior that it currently doesn’t know. The sheer number of searches could help refine its algorithms, help focus search results on what searchers want, and could make Bing a formidable competitor. ‘Could’ being the operative word because Microsoft has never been very good at looking at and reacting to user data. They seem to be driven by engineering – which is fine for the back-end of the things – but the front end needs to be human-driven. Something Google (and Apple) are very good at.

User experience should be paramount if you want lots of users.

In brief, Microsoft has never been too groovy. Google’s starkness along with the “I’m feeling lucky” button on its home page and their playfulness with their logo, has always given Google the human edge.

But with the number of searches Bing will be pulling, it could teach itself a thing or two about human (and search) behavior. Will it? I don’t know– but the potential is there.

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Secondly, a well-optimized site has always done well across the boards on all search engines. While many people take the time to submit specifically to Google, they don’t take the time for ‘the others’. Now that ‘the others’ are joining forces, that might change. Will it? Again – I don’t know. I am guessing a 28% market share will make people pay attention.

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But proper optimization is proper optimization. Bing’s technique of pulling out reviews for shopping related results could drive e-ecommerce sites towards more compliant code – which is a good thing– but there is no ‘game changer’ in optimizing that I can see.

Sure – there are certain tricks for Bing – just like there are certain tricks for Google. But those ‘refinements’ in page code are small. And usually the personal white hat ‘tricks’ of the SEO’s.

Thirdly, Google is still number one. With a 65% market share it is just not logical to put more the 35% of your energy into thinking about engines other then Google. With Google-voice, Google-docs, the up and coming Android platform, the new Google OS,  the rise and popularity of social media and its impact on the public, one could considerably not think about the other engines at all and still market their services to a great number of people.

So–do we as SEO and Web Marketing Experts need to react to Yahoo and Microsoft deal. The answer is yes.

Arguably we’ve been paying attention to them all along! We might not have recommended ad-spend on their networks due to the relatively low market share, but optimizing for those engines and knowing how they work has been part of our existence since… well… since they were in existence.

What this deal means is that now there is a greater possibility that a higher number of other people are going to be paying attention too.

And reacting to that fact needs to be incorporated into current strategies and future game plans!

posted by M. Nedell 9-3-09

There’s nothing quite like learning on the job. My first day as an intern at New Breed Marketing had me tagging along to a client visit where I not only saw some of the finished work that New Breed produces, but also their collaborative work process both within the firm and with their clients. As a recent college grad and student entering an MBA program in the fall, I applied for a summer internship with New Breed hoping to learn about how a boutique marketing firm works, and also to expose myself to the variety of tasks that encompass marketing. By the end of the summer, I’ll have a better idea if this’ll be a good field for me to continue to pursue!

When I returned to the office after the visit, and many days since, I’ve gotten a better understanding of the atmosphere at New Breed. The staff here has been outgoing and friendly, the office comfortable (with some construction rumbling in the distance,) the teamwork uplifting and the atmosphere laid back, creative and productive. My goal is to absorb as much knowledge and experience this summer as I can!

New Breed Marketing is also home to a few other summer interns squatting on the office conference tables: ???? ????????????? ???? ??????
Sabrina DeRose, born and raised in New York City, decided to pursue an internship at NBM because “there was this vibe surrounding New Breed that reminded me of home.” She added that she likes New Breed because “Because of the collaborative atmosphere, I really feel like I’m a part of the team.”

At New Breed DeRose has a few different tasks, one of which was contacting publications companies in Montreal. “I really enjoyed learning more about Montreal’s largest newspapers and magazines,” she said. “My only wish was that I knew French!” In the future, DeRose said her dream is to own a New England bed and breakfast someday, but added that she’d “love to work in a public relations firm or in the event planning industry.”

Tyler Vock joined New Breed after winning a contest earlier this spring.
He said he took the internship for many reasons, including as a way to “to test the ‘business waters’ and see what there was available for a business major. Marketing has always been an interest to me so I wanted to see also which part of marketing, (business or creative) I liked more.” Vock says “its awesome working here because I immediately felt involved and included.” He added that after one week on the job he has already been involved in many projects and said that so far his favorite is designing logos, “It’s an awesome way to be creative and have to think from different perspectives.” Vock said he plans to attend UVM’s Business School in the future, but is unsure of what specialization he might pursue. He added, “This internship has definitely helped me realize that marketing is a great time and has been a great experience.”

Carly Schwer, a junior at UVM and local Vermonter, also applied for the internship as a way to get a better understanding of Marketing as a career path. She said she has been working with NBM on one major account since joining the team, but added that her “favorite task is researching and finding new ways to market because social media is constantly changing.” Schwer said she enjoys working at NBM “primarily because I love the work atmosphere. Everyone is very friendly, helpful, and laid back, yet still hard working, motivated, and passionate about their job.

I also support the firm’s values, having a more local, “Vermont” feel as opposed to being a giant, profit-driven business.” Schwer will return to UVM in the fall in pursuit of a Communication major and a Business minor. In the future she said she hopes to pursue a career in marketing, particularly environmentally or non-profit based.