Inktomi Now Delivering MSN's Primary Search Results

[Garrett]

I learned today from Andy Beal, SEO expert and author of many fantastic articles (http://webpronews.com/andybeal.html) that Microsoft is now exclusively serving Inktomi results.

I've seen no official word of the change thus far from MSN or Inktomi. If you search for a term, however, MSN Search (http://search.msn.com/) labels the results as "Web Pages" instead of "Directory Listings." The "directory listings" label indicated the LookSmart results, said Beal.

Until now they delivered LookSmart results as their primary results and Inktomi as secondary. Microsoft announced in October (http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3088051) that they would drop LookSmart's directory listings.

Check out Andy's news-breaking blog, the Search Engine Lowdown (http://www.searchenginelowdown.com/2004_01_01_searchlowdown_archive.html#107417571027 081123).

Also, thanks to forum member greeneagle for this post (http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=11915) that alerted Brittany who alerted me. :)

[ADAM Web Design]

...or at least not in Canada is this statement true. At the present time, MSN.ca (or ca.MSN.com) still uses Looksmart as its primary results provider. The following search results demonstrate:

http://ca.search.msn.com/results.asp?FORM=MSNH&v=1&RS=CHECKED&CY=en-ca&CP=65001&q=fireplace

The look and feel matches very closely that of its US counterpart, however, which seems to imply that a similar change is imminent.

[Garrett]

Hey Adam,

Thanks for the update!

Any other MSNSearch sites still delivering LookSmart?

Garrett

[Mel]

As of an hour ago I am still seeing directory results on MSN for many search terms.

[chris_g]

Garret said:

"I've seen no official word of the change thus far from MSN or Inktomi."

Your absolutely right but I am wondering, has MSN been know to clearly mark where their results are from?

From what I am seeing now the results are pretty similar to HotBot so it looks like the move to Inktomi results is well in its way.

Does anyone know whats going to happen when Inktomi becomes the main provider for Yahoo? With yahoo's purchase of Inktomi its not a secret that this is enevible at some point, in fact likely very soon.

[fasteddie]

msn.co.uk now seems to be showing 'Web Pages' which I presume means Inktomi - certainly looks like their results.

f

[Mel]

I thought that MSN UK had always used Inktomi results for its web pages results?

At any rate the current results at MSN.co.uk differ from the results that you get if you search the Inktomi database at http://search.positiontech.com/

They differ in the number of results returned and in the rankings.
MSN.co.uk give this explantion of thier web page search results.


Web Page results include all other Internet-wide Web sites that best match your search words.

Note

Within Web Page results, there may be links where the Web site owners have paid for either expedited review of their site or paid for clicks to their site. These sites are ranked using the normal algorithm applied to all links within each section, with no change in rank due to payment.

Why the differences I don't really know.