Microsoft tries to catch AdWords with "Cashback"

[abbottsys]

Microsoft's attempt to catch Google in the search advertising business gets stranger each day. First we had the Yahoo acquisition saga, and now this, to be announced today.

This seems to me like a lame and desperate attempt. It won't work. It's almost like Microsoft doesn't understand the basics of the search advertising business.

Cashback announcement
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121136250134610255.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[abbottsys]

BTW: You can try Cashback here..
http://search.live.com/cashback

My feeling is that this will impact shopping comparison sites more than Google AdWords.

[chris1]

I agree that shopping comparison sites might feel the impact with this.

I was wondering when/if MS was ever going to actually do something like this. They announced (in vague terms) that they were interested in something like this about 2 and a half years ago.

http://mashable.com/2005/12/10/microsoft-will-pay-users-to-search-says-bill-gates/