Yahoo-Microsoft search deal cleared by both U.S. and Euro bureaucrats

“We’ve received clearance from both the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission for our search agreement with Microsoft,” Yahoo senior VP for search products Shashi Seth blogged this morning.

Microsoft’s Bing engine will deliver Yahoo search results once the two companies complete their planned integration. Microsoft’s self-serve ads will appear on Yahoo search results. Yahoo’s sales team will sell and book premium sponsorships for both Yahoo and Bing.

Bloomberg reported earlier in the deal process that Microsoft and Yahoo would control more than a quarter of the market for ad banners — commonly called display ads — and animated ads. Google, the top search ad seller, would have a hard time competing against the pair, because Google has focused on text ads at the expense of taking a share of the display market.

Shashi wrote that there are three ways Yahoo wants to improve its customers’ searches:

• “Ways to find things faster when you’re just starting your search.” Yahoo’s search assist technology will suggest related searches. The company will also incorporate search into its other properties.• “New ways to help you explore the things that matter most.” Yahoo will provide options for organizing search results, and suggest searches to people browsing other Yahoo pages.

• “More apps and other tools to help you get things done as quickly as possible.” New Yahoo apps will focus on task completion, rather than luring customers to perform more searches.

Shashi wrote, “We know that people don’t want to search per se.” Seth, I have to disagree: A long search session is the next best thing to a bubble bath.

[Image: Bloomberg]