Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website

Though it was very late in creating its own independent search results (as

recently as 2005, MSN was still showing results from the Yahoo! database), MSN still

has a chance to exceed expectations by leveraging its bulk. Check out the MSN facts in

Table 4.3.

Tab le 4.3

MSN Basics

URL

www.msn.com

Percent of search traffic

14.2% (Source: comScore Media Metrix, February 2006)

Primary results

Robot crawler

Organic listings also influenced by Open Directory

Ways to submit your site

Submit URL form (free), or wait for the robot to find you

Pay-per-click services

Slated to replace YSM listings with its own adCenter listings in June 2006

In five words or less

Watch out for late bloomer.

Keep an eye on

Incentives to search (MSN Search and Win), MSN adCenter

MSN’s PPC service, called MSN adCenter, is currently in beta and scheduled to

be fully operational in June 2006. MSN could put up some serious competition to the

current wonder twins of PPC, Google AdWords and YSM. Early reports say that the

new service will offer much more targeted sponsorships, with the capability for adver-

tisers to select specific audiences by age, gender, location, and time of day.

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