Here’s the graf you need to pay attention to in today’s big story (Journal article here, paid sub):
Currently, talks of an equity stake in Yahoo don’t appear to be active, given that Microsoft is focusing on a reorganization that it hopes will re-energize its effort to compete with Google, the fast-growing provider of search services and advertising.
What the F? This seems to be a non story. Everyone talks to everyone about everything, all the time. End of story.
Why not John?.As Danny posted yahoo owns a decent core search technology and traffic but struggles in improving their ppc ad platform and MS has the best ad platform but its core search sucks. So a merger makes sense.
Combine the yahoo brand with the coming IE7 search box and the new MSYAhoo can put a serious dent in google’s search market share..
It can happen and would make sense. Semel would go for it. Ballmer would relish it. Google would be back on their heels for the first time in their history. The combined search share would be upwards 33%.
It would be a search war again.
Weren’t there talks in Jan. about MSFT buying Yahoo for over $50 billion?
If in fact Microsoft acquired Yahoo – WHICH SERPS WOULD BE USED ON BOTH SEARCH ENGINES.
When Yahoo acquire AlltheWeb & AltaVista – they completely eliminated their individuality.
Would Yahoo really accept using MSN algos. Would MSN really accept doing all that work for nothing. What would happen to the Yahoo Directory – since Microsoft has their small biz directory also?
What would happen to the PPCs?
It seems likely that ASK.com may eventually be acquired.
In fact, imagine taking over: Lycos Excite HotBot, Dogpile etc….
Microsoft needs Yahoo more than Yahoo needs Microsoft.
The WSJ is free through May 10th.
Yahoo’s employees would leave 1,000 at a time. Could you imagine Yahoo executives reporting to Bill, Steve, and the Groovmeister?
I think the guys just need a new approach to things. They’re not able to monetize as many searches as Google can due to Google’s international network of advertisers. Strategically, both Yahoo & Microsoft do not allow for advertisers to spend their money as they please, where they please and make it difficult by setting up fences in each geographic territory, instead of using Geotargeting capabilities to allow all advertisers to compete where and when they want. My blog details more – I just think that they should look carefully at what Google’s doing, and the 42% revenue that Google earns from outside the US, see how fast that’s growing, and then ponder why their different approach is not working, evidently.