MSN said to be launching Thursday

[dazzlindonna]

Two days from now...new msn search launching....woohoo! Love a little excitement in the seo world.

[ResaleBroker]

Where is that posted? I'd be interested in reading about it.

[sapphiro15]

Do you think that MSN will prevail over google..

Its a good attempt... Nothing has come close in a while.

[fryman]

I'll stick to Google

[dazzlindonna]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=6764958

[exam]

I'll stick with G too, but hopefully some searchers will use msn, and I can get some more users :D

[reh3363]

It's google all the way for me, unless MSN comes out with some amazing new feature. Then google will probably implement the same feature and it will be back to google. :)

[ResaleBroker]

I think we're in for a treat. There's nothing like competition in the free market!

[chachi]

well, I just hope it is the "preview" we were all playing with a few weeks ago.

[ROV]

Well, we'll see if #1 in MSN brings in more visitors than #624 in Google.

[ResaleBroker]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=6764958
Thanks for the link!

[smindsrt]

Let's do it baby!

[melfan]

this is a good news. im waiting for this. thanks for the link

[Nick W]

The NY Times are reporting that MSN Search will Lauch Tomorrow (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/10/technology/10search.html?ex=1100667600&en=9f8a8704983fe4f6&ei=5040&partner=MOREOVER)

Hold on to your hats, this changes EVERYTHING

[SEbasic]

See this :)

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=4908

[Nick W]

Ahh.. I did look but didnt see anyting, thanks!

someone delete this one eh?

cheers

[expat]

this will become interesting and serious once it has been out, hammered and refined.

Since XP MS has most users on autoupdate. So a clever worded / done update could install search MS as default / preffered .... even given multiple choice, we all know what the average user will do....

M

[Las Vegas Homes]

I for one hope that this new search engine by MSN will get a lot of good press and be exposed to the public. It seems as if the NY Times has already given it some good press. Now google will have to try and top it in some way with a press release of its own. Can we say bye bye google and their cash cow adwords.

[l0cke]

well, I just hope it is the "preview" we were all playing with a few weeks ago.It is not the preview, only a facelift to their current backend (http://www.search.msn.com/). They stated the preview will launch "later this year".

[beitemiller]

this will become interesting and serious once it has been out, hammered and refined.

Since XP MS has most users on autoupdate. So a clever worded / done update could install search MS as default / preffered .... even given multiple choice, we all know what the average user will do....

M

Hooray for more spyware :D

Definatly see this as a possiblity - using the XP auto-update to make MSN the default SE. Just wonder when they will start doing it.

[nadlay]

So why the fuss if it's just an update to the existing engine?

It's not going to be any more competitive if the results aren't any better.

[SEbasic]

I'm not really sure what you mean l0cke, can you point an article out that backs that statement up?

Everything I've read makes it seem like the techpreview is being released.

[Help Desk]

It is not the preview, only a facelift to their current backend (http://www.search.msn.com/). They stated the preview will launch "later this year".
Then what's the difference? Are you sure of this?

[rwhetsto]

Check this article out: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/zd/20041109/tc_zd/138971
"MSN plans to run its search-engine beta site concurrently with its existing MSN Search site until the technology is ready for a full launch, sources said."

I'm getting mixed ideas from the articles I've read, but this one clearly states it is not a full release. :eek:

For more articles on the release I have a MSN news page (RSS from Yahoo) setup here: http://www.seogeeks.com/o/msn-news.php.

[Help Desk]

Then what's the difference? Are you sure of this?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6447048/
I believe the preview that a few people here have been playing with may be what is being "Plugged" into MSN. Take a look at the the above news article from MSNBC (a Microsoft owned company).

[SEbasic]

Right, so we ARE going to see the techpreview results then?????????

[nadlay]

I suppose we will find out tomorrow.

[thfc1afc0]

To be fair, when have M$ ever lauched anything low key. Esp on a project this big.

[joeychgo]

No. 1 software company expected to release its long-awaited Web search service Thursday.
November 10, 2004: 6:31 AM EST

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. will launch its long-promised Internet search engine Thursday, competing directly with market leader Google Inc., sources close to the company said.

Earlier Tuesday, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer told shareholders at the company's annual meeting Microsoft would beat Google's technology and double its advertising revenue in the next five years.




http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/10/technology/msft_search.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes

[l0cke]

I'm not really sure what you mean l0cke, can you point an article out that backs that statement up?

Everything I've read makes it seem like the techpreview is being released.Sorry, wasn't completely awake this morning :). I saw an article on slashdot that linked to this: http://news.com.com/MSN+launches+revamped+search+engine/2100-1032_3-5254083.html

What I didn't realize is that article is dated June 30, 2004.

[digitalpoint]

Well considering MSN doesn't have anywhere near the users that Yahoo and Google has, it's not like a change in MSN rankings is really going to do much for most people. Users that normally use Google or Yahoo would actually have to abandon Google/Yahoo in favor of MSN in droves in order to really drive a significant amount of additional traffic. I would like for it to happen since MSN rankings are easy to manipulate, but I just don't see it happening.

[SEbasic]

I do...

Microsoft has a full history of using online marketing to push new products and services.

For instance, when the MSN Toolbar was released, there was an ad on every single page of about.com informing us of this incredible new plugin for your browser.

They will no doubt be advertising the fact all over their site too...

This is where marketing will prove incredibly interesting to watch.

[digitalpoint]

How many people do you know with the MSN Toolbar installed? :)

They might pick up a small percentage of users from advertising, but for a search engine, ultimately what it comes down to is relevancy. People might try it, but if a different search engine gives them better results for whatever they are searching for, they aren't going to keep using it.

Look how big Google has gotten... strictly because it's a good search engine and people told people. Not because of marketing or Super Bowl ads.

Like 99% of the end users in the world, I have no loyalty to any search engine... and as soon as someone actually makes something better than Google, there will be a shift in usage (myself included), but I don't think any amount of advertising will make someone use something consistently if there is something better out there.

[SEbasic]

How many domestic users have toolbars installed?

Valid points though.

I guess this is all dependant upon the results returned by MSN.

I do think that marketing and brand awareness will play a huge part in this though, at least to get initial uses of the service from people, then it will be down to the results to make people stay.

[melfan]

one thing i notice with techpreview is that it changes its ranking very fast. Last week one of my site ranks in top 5 but today it only ranks 24 :(

[Help Desk]

Most people that use MSN are those who are not very computer literate. MSN is their default homepage due to ie default or software from their ISP. You would be suprised how many people do not even know how to enter a URL.

Microsoft's search will become much more important in the future when the start integrating a pre-installed search bar into Longhorn and such.

[chachi]

I agree, there is a huge segment of internet "users" out there who have no clue what they are doing and their default home page is probably MSN. Look at AOL, I never understood why anyone would want to use that junk, but millions of people do....and I know a bunch. I don't think they are going to take over tomorrow, but I am sure they will hype it up pretty good.

All I know is, I hope to see search.msn.com in my logs more come Thursday.

[jocknotech]

If you come up great in Google...you will probably say the MSN has poor search results. If you come up favorably in MSN, you will probably say the search results are superior to Googles. I think MSN search results are far superior to Googles :). Go figure.

OK, I admit I do better in MSN. But... so radically different (but not bad in Google) that there must be two very different ranking criteria. If Microsoft were to pull off a coup and knock off Google as the #1 Search (marketing can do that), boy will SEO change. Will backlinks be so important (they are not on the NEW MSN), will PR mean much or anything...etc? Unfortunately, keyword spammers still prosper in both Google and the NEW MSN.

Before any of you Google-only fans say NEVER as far as MSN knocking them off the number #1 spot...let me just quote or paraphrase a line from the movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley" where Steve Jobs says to Bill Gates in an angry tone (about their operating system) "We are better than you", says Jobs...and Bill Gates says "You don't get it, Steve..that doesn't matter". Microsoft certainly has the money and products to leverage.

I hope both do well and others too...Yahoo, Teoma. Its a shame so many sites have to funnel through such a small space.

jocknotech

[ian_ok]

I'm not convinced.....

The beta version is VERY slow and on a search for:

andalucia accommodation

You get:

This site is temporarily unavailable, please check back soon.
Didn't get the results you expected? Help us improve.

Hmmmmm not even I would release a beta version if it doesn't even do the things it is meant to.

Mind you the msn bot has been going mad on my sites, so you just never know.


Ian

[princet]

The beta version is apalling.
When searching for my keywords, the serps are dominated by affilate codes.
Not to mention that my main site is indexed with 800 pages, mostly weird cgi pages, the real content is not visible.

I'm glad this just is a beta, more work obvioulsy needs to be done.

[thfc1afc0]

Well I've been playing around with it this morning and am getting the unavailble message as well. Although I imagine everyone is hammering it.

For me first positive that I have found is the increase in the number of pages cached. I look after 2 sites both with v-bulletin forums. Results as so.

Current MSN Site 1 has 3,671 pages and 3 from the forum. The Beta version has 4,301 and 217.

Site 2 current MSN has 50 pages, Beta 705 and 4 forum pages vs 3,838

Although haven't checked on the search term rankings, more pages in the index has to be a good thing.

[WhatiFind]

i looked at beta.search.msn.com it's different from the techpreview..
full release will be end of 2004 news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4000015.stm

[Extranet Guy]

The results seem to me to be much closer to the old MSN than the Techpreview results...

[Smyrl]

I thought beta version looked exciting but this looks like same ole same ole. Yawn.

Shannon

[melfan]

Try to test the BETA version but "temporay available" msg keep appearing. We have been fooled

[digitalpoint]

It works for me... it just takes 11.66 seconds for a query and returns only 1 result. They probably moved it to some Windows machines running SQL Server. :)

[melfan]

It works for me now.. and its pretty fast on my end