Special Update – March 11th, 2004
Simplifying the Yahoo · Overture · Inktomi Changes
...once the dust settles, this could be a good thing for most online businesses!
– by John Heard

Special Yahoo · Overture Update This special mid-month update addresses the recent changes by Yahooverture regarding their Overture Site Match Paid Inclusion Services–formerly known as Inktomi Search Submit and Index Connect–and gives details on how to make best use of their new FREE Add URL option.

As you probably know, Overture purchased AltaVista and FAST early in 2003. Then, later in the year, Yahoo purchased Overture and Inktomi giving them control over multiple sectors of the SE universe.

In essence Yahoo, Overture, AltaVista, FAST and Inktomi became potentially all the same search service. At the very least it's been expected for months that they'd become an integrated and interrelated family of search portals. Everyone has widely anticipated that Yahoo would stop using Google's web results in favor of their own form of Inktomi generated results. On March 2nd Yahoo (finally) announced the dramatic switch! ...and a cloud of consternation has been hanging over the SEO industry for a little more than a week since that announcement.

Deciphering the Switch

For starters, we believe that even Yahoo is still a bit undecided about what to do with their newly formed empire of portals. Their actions indicate they haven't yet finalized their entire plan-of-attack and are even waiting, to some degree, to see how the market reacts to the changes they've announced thus far.

For example, they've yet to announce any plans regarding their Yahoo Directory and the myriad participants who are paying $299 ...