Comments on: Live Search Cashback: The Traffic Needle Is Still Stuck, But The Ads Are Rolling In

By: Microsoft Introduces Bing Cashback To The Masses With Its First TV Ad | Stoth

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 01:58:56 +0000

[...] do much to improve Live Search’s market share last year, but it did result in a significant increase in advertising revenue. Now that Bing is picking up some steam, CashBack may turn in to the traffic [...]

By: The Far Edge » Blog Archive » Microsoft Tries To Re-Energize Cashback By Plugging It Into Its Products Engine

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 01:33:17 +0000

[...] is what it was before the program), and Google’s share remaining at nearly 62 %. But there was a silver lining to the program for Microsoft; its ad revenue from Live Search increased. Last fall, Microsoft [...]

By: Microsoft Tries To Re-Energize Cashback By Plugging It Into Its Products Engine

Microsoft Tries To Re-Energize Cashback By Plugging It Into Its Products Engine — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:38:18 +0000

[...] what it was before the program), and Google’s share remaining at nearly 62 %. But there was a silver lining to the program for Microsoft; its ad revenue from Live Search increased. Last fall, Microsoft [...]

By: MS Cash Back

MS Cash Back — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:42:01 +0000

I hate waiting for the payouts. Other then that, I love it.

By: ::: Think Macro ::: » Reading blogs #6

::: Think Macro ::: » Reading blogs #6 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:53:40 +0000

[...] “Live Search Cashback” (via TechBlorge) – Another post about Microsoft paying users for using its search results. Reading this kind of new now got me thinking… Recently, Veronica showed me a resaerch article suggesting that people adjust their search patterns to match unsatisfactory research results and then see no difference between the “good” and the “bad” search engines. Provided that the cash inscentive will be significant enough to overcome Google’s brand, this move can actually work for Microsoft. What do you think? [...]

By: James Mason

James Mason — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:17:50 +0000

There are plenty of other US and UK cashback sites on the net, so users don’t have to use MSFT’s poor search engine to get cashback, there are other (better and more trusted) sites out there.

By: Nate

Nate — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:43:16 +0000

What I love about Live Search is that I’ve made back nearly $350 from it over the past year. I only go there when I’m planning a purchase, click through to the site I want to buy from, and BAM, $10 here, 40 there, it adds up quick!

By: DaBo

DaBo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:01:16 +0000

Microsoft never intended this to be a profit making solution. Their aim was to de-value search which they are doing. By passing the cash on to customers (100% CPA normally) they are taking away profitable search queries from Google. If an advertiser sees less conversions from a search query with google they will be willing to pay less for the click. That’s money Google were getting previously. I said when this launched it was an ultra aggressive strategy. This is microsoft doing to google exactly what google have done to them. Attack them in their core market (google docs etc.), not aiming to make a large profit but aiming to stop their competitor from profiting.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:42:24 +0000

The question of whether it’s profitable or not is probably a moot point for Microsoft – look at how much of a loss has been made on producing xboxes, and considering the importance MS is putting on competing in search I’d say they’d be prepared to lose a whole lot more here.

What I’d be interested to know is at what point Google would consider doing the same. Say cashback really takes off – surely Google could just implement an identical program and immediately redress the balance? Sure, it’s not quite that simple, but with their clout I can’t see there being any shortage of willing partners.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:18:55 +0000

The last paragraph is really the killer: yes, the early numbers from Cashback are interesting but the fact remains that Microsoft is paying big bucks for these numbers so the net profitability of this idea is questionable to me.

By: khanh

khanh — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:36:36 +0000

Search it on Google; click on their ads. Then go buy it through live. Advertisers will realize that Google is not producing any results, so why pay them? There will be a shift towards Microsoft if this keeps happening.

By: chance

chance — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:59:20 +0000

I only see this succeeding if you can get a deal on a product that you can’t get cheaper on another site. Otherwise, this sounds like online Amway, where you are constricted to purchase from only one store to ensure that you get some cash-back, but you might be losing more from not shopping around for deals than you gain in cash-back.

By: Live Searchのキャッシュバックプログラム：トラフィック面では停滞気味なるも広告は増加

Live Searchのキャッシュバックプログラム：トラフィック面では停滞気味なるも広告は増加 — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:10:34 +0000

[...] ［原文へ］ [...]

By: valueamerica_once_more

valueamerica_once_more — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:39:33 +0000

Yeah, that is most people doing. thanks microsoft, I sold tons of my stuff via buy it now. and also bought a lot of stuff from microsoft. I even had a script once I did the search on google/yahoo and automatically login back to cash to get the free money from microsoft. It will be great as so far, I already got tons grant from microsoft.

By: anon

anon — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:13:21 +0000

Find it on Google, switch to Live, recreate the link, save some cash.

The disproportion between Live search % and cash % suggests this.

What happens once the cash incentive goes away is needed.

By: benji

benji — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:51:28 +0000

The ebay program must be a huge success, but I worry they are pumping up top line revenue this quarter that isn’t sustainable for future quarters. It would be interesting to know on the 25% ebay cash back who is paying for what. Also, Ebay buy it now prices are being inflated because of this deal

I am using cashback as my primary shopping tool as long as these deals exist, but when the ebay deal went away I stopped using it. I don’t see this working long term

By: Alex Wilhelm

Alex Wilhelm — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:42:27 +0000

This is an excellent analogy, except that Google makes money, and youtube does not. But in the frame of adding a new revenue model on top of a proven technique, sure.

By: Samant

Samant — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:01:03 +0000

except that it IS working. Didnt you read the article???

By: Kyle Dylan Conner

Kyle Dylan Conner — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:40:53 +0000

Very much agreed.

By: What could be better than Google AdWords? Microsoft Live Search cashback?

What could be better than Google AdWords? Microsoft Live Search cashback? — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:38:03 +0000

What could be better than Google AdWords? Microsoft Live Search cashback?…

Interesting! Does this mean that advertisers at Google AdWords like me should consider moving to Microsoft Live Search?…

By: abdi

abdi — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:29:29 +0000

it won’t work.

By: Fred Rose

Fred Rose — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:20:02 +0000

Microsoft is doing to Google Search what Hulu is doing to YouTube

By: Tuyen Vo

Tuyen Vo — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:14:23 +0000

I guess it’s all relative depending on how much they can charge for the clicks. If more advertisers are flocking to the CashBack program, ad rates will slowly tick up and it’ll be a self-sustaining program. However, if MS is losing a boatload of cash on this, I don’t see how they can continue doing it.

As a point of reference, I bought a plasma TV via the CashBack program on eBay and got $200 back on a $780 purchase. I don’t care how much eBay paid for that click, $200 is a lot to give back. Don’t know the dynamics of the eBay program and whether they are shouldering some of the cost with MS.

By: Mia

Mia — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:09:25 +0000

I agree, the results are not surprising considering that the users are being offered money and they are looking to purchase something, which makes them much more likely to click on ads. I think this was a good ploy by Microsoft to capture quality traffic, but one can’t help but wonder if the higher advertiser interest will compensate for the loss in revenue through the cashback program. I guess MS thinks that’s still money wellspent given that ultimate goal is to steal marketshare away from Google.

By: Jason Kincaid

Jason Kincaid — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:01:55 +0000

I’d do it for free.