MSN product search beta

A couple of months after launching its new search engine MSN (Microsoft) is moving even more aggressively to compete with Google and Yahoo with its new MSN beta product search.
Though MSN has always been pokling around consumer information and product ads from its portal, this is another major move. MSN spokesperson Justin Osmer said that the product search should quickly inovate on the comparison search market and offer new services and features to help consumers finding products.
MSN’s product search for now displays thumbnails graphics as search results, similarly to Froogle, but the ranking technology was not uncovered yet. It is probably too early for SEO’s and other internet marketers to benchmark this new tool by the Redmond firm since nothing indicates when the beta product search will go live and no contact form is available for companies willing to have their inventory listed in the search result.

Jupiter research analysts confirm MSN smart move, Microsoft had in the past somehow lost a few opportunities such as the blog trend. Vertical search engines as opposed to broader engines offer clear advantages for the consumer: results are targeted, landing page is the product page and the pricing is obviously displayed. When it comes to Ecommerce the conversion rate from Froogle, Yahoo shopping and other comparison search sites would be higher than from broader search engines but will the traffic meet expectations?