Alexa dumps Google for MSN Live

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Alexa dumps Google for MSN Live

May 2, 2006

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From Aaron Wall comes word that MSN Live is now powering Alexa's search results instead of Google.

Alexa results were previously Google results informed by user data from the Alexa toolbar, plus a number of post-search refinement buttons.

The Alexa toolbar's gotten Alexa a bad rap from privacy advocates, though in function its effect on search results is similar to click stream data that Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask may or may not be using in their determinations of relevance.

Wall points out that A9 is still powered by Google".

A9 is Amazon's primary search project. Wall wonders, however, if the change in Alexa indicates a larger coming change in Amazon's relationship to Google.

I agree. In fact, I see the move as the first Google Dump in the post eBay's-seeking-partners-against-Google era.

Craig Donato of Oodle, a classifieds search engine, steers studiously clear of *selling* classified ads. His partners - his suppliers of his index of classified ads - would not appreciate the competition. Google opened the content floodgates with Google Base, creating competition for the companies in its organic results.

Google dumpings are the industry's way of saying, "you can serve our cake but you can't bake your own."

Could Amazon's nod to MSN Live be a sampling of the (flaked) goods rather than a true Google dumping prompted by Amazon's new vision of Google as a threat? I can imagine the more cool-headed pundits among us (Danny Sullivan) reading the situation that way.

But when Google Base book search enables publishers to circumvent Amazon and sell directly to Google searchers you'll see Amazon finding new search partners in a hot damn minute.

GData and Base indicate that Google's uber-portal direction is set. Amazon's shift from Google indicates what will be the first of many high profile shifts away from Google that we'll see in the coming months.

I see Ask being a big winner in the search industry as Google dumpers seek new partners.

Lanzone's always been focused on Pure Search and doesn't have portal ambitions (though IAC may push Ask that way).

Ask is likely to emerge as the search partner of choice as Google increasingly alienates its former partners by competing with them directly.

Source: Search Engine Lowdown

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