Desperate Measures
February 20, 2006
MSN is attempting to lure web users away from Yahoo and Google to its own search engine - and it isn't afraid to offer incentives to achieve its objective. The search company has launched a sweepstake for users that will reward searchers that hit on a "winning" keyword.
The MSN Search and Win competition enters search users in a prize draw if they search for certain terms. If a sponsored link appears informing users that they may have won a prize, the searcher is asked to submit their details.
MSN is currently placed third behind Google and Yahoo.
However, it seems bloggers are determined to put a spanner in the works and have already begun publishing ways to win. This includes everything from the winning terms, to applications that generate the search terms and click on the prize link.
Some industry pundits have also questioned whether this approach is sensible and why MSN doesn't focus its efforts on improving the core application, arguing that Google's revenue successes and market position were borne of a superior search.
This entry was reproduced from Digital Digest.