Re: AltaVista Testing Paid Search Results

From: Michael Wexler <mwexler_at_microsoft.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 05:43:46 -0500 (CDT)

Richard and List:

I don't think this will fly much further. Unless AV puts a
clear separation between paid content and "search results",
users will just stop using it. Since they imply that search
results will be indistinguishable from paid results, there
will be some angry users out there. Goto.com implies that
its payola system results in better search results: Since
only results which are relevant get clicks, its only cost
effective for relevant sites.

I see it differently. The user expects to find what he (or
she) is looking for, and the user expects to have a choice.
Search by payola removes both of these. In fact, I expect
that as bigger engines shift towards payola, direct and
google and other relevance based engines will rise to the
forefront, and be acquired by the big search engines once
they realize their errors. For these reasons, I personally
choose not to use nor recommend goto.com; clearly they do
have some users who enjoy what they offer given their reach
and other metrics.

Hey, best of luck to any who think consumers are so foolish
that they will put up with this for long. Maybe I can pay
the phone company to list me first in the phone book, and
then pay extra to put lots of blank space between me and my
competitors. That'll work...

If interested in more info about these sorts of deals,
http://www.searchenginewatch.com/ as always has great
reports and analysis.

Just my 2 cents,

Michael Wexler
Research Manager
Microsoft Corporation


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Received on Thu Apr 15 1999 - 07:49:04 CDT