Microsoft after Google?

Microsoft is after everyone really. They had it good for so long, and have so much money as a result, what else can they do?

Search Engine Land notes that with the acquisition of aQuantitive, Microsoft is attacking Google at all sorts of legal levels. Okay, I am not a master at business law. Acquisitions are marginally interesting to me. But what really gets me is what is Microsoft main goal?

Squash Google like they did Apple and Netscape?

I don’t think they can, and it’s on a really simple level of my thoughts as to why they can’t/won’t succeed. It’s going to take something/someone fresh and new to out do the masters of search. Why? They have (even though we hate admitting it) webmasters in their back pocket. They talk to us more. They answer questions, and solicit out opinions.

Google is stronger in its base which are webmasters. No other engine has matched that. We all want to feel needed and useful. And we are the consumers. Want to do well in the search world? Start by converting the master’s of search.

MSN – in reality the algorithm is not all that great. The paid search is getting better, but no where at the level of YSM or AdWords. First fix the product, then talk to us. That’s the only way you are going to make it.