Yahoo Testing Google Search Results

Yahoo is testing the use of Google search results following a change regarding the company’s deal with Microsoft.

The former search giant, which currently has around 6-8% of search share, formally relied on Microsoft’s Bing search engine to display results but in April renegotiated its deal with the company to allow for the possibility of other search partners.

The news was confirmed to Search Engine Land, with a spokesperson saying:

“As we work to create the absolute best experiences for Yahoo users, from time to time, we run small tests with a variety of partners including search providers.”

Under the recent deal with Microsoft 51% of Yahoo search traffic has to carry Bing ads, outside of this it seems Yahoo is taking the time to explore new avenues to improve the user experience.

The transformation of the internet pioneer – once a homepage favourite – has been well documented.

Yahoo’s founder, Jerry Yang, stepped down from the company in early 2012 as Google’s hold on the world of search was tightened, citing ‘areas of interest outside of Yahoo’.

Following this, the company went through some high profile changes, and since the implementation of current CEO Marissa Mayer, a focus on user experience has been in place.

Mayer’s reconstructed deal with Microsoft creates the potential for Yahoo to be an ‘all-in-one’ search engine, where Bing and Google answers are apparent in unison – creating a unique user experience.

Speaking of UX in Jan 2013, Mayer said her goals and challenges for Yahoo were “Increasing usage, growing our international presence and appealing to a broader demographic of users.” The focus on multiple testing and different results options indeed lay the foundations for all three of these concentrations to become a reality.

In November 2014 Yahoo was also installed as the default engine for Firefox users.