Yahoo vs. MSN, Google and Ask (and ABC, NBC, FOX, CNN, TIVO, Netflix, etc…)
In my opinion, here are the things Yahoo is doing that MSN and Google can’t touch on quality or maturity: Messenger, APIs, Music, Photo Sharing, Search Feeds, Answers, Shopping, Yahoo Stores, Video Search, Games and now Social Networking.

Did you know that I can listen to Yahoo Music from inside Yahoo messenger and play a friend in chess through IM while we chat all at the same time?

Add to that the fact that my friend can see what I’m hearing choose to listen to the same thing right along with me? Now I can also blast my friends, post to my blog or share a photo all from within messenger. That all goes without mentioning my ability to check my yahoo mail, calendar or weather from Messenger too.

I know what you’re thinking “Ok, ok, so that’s all fine and dandy, Yahoo is doing great things with social media and finally connecting the dots between their disparate services, so what.” I’ll tell you so what.

Yahoo is poised to be the first online media megalith. What happens when Yahoo music, integration into 360 and messenger and the ability to share tastes and create music channels for friends to watch becomes Yahoo TV?

What happens when millions of viewers are watching Idol through the Yahoo network and voting via Messenger, broadcasting messages to their friends through 360 to vote for Paris and receiving personalized advertisements based on their interests all on their living room television?

What happens when Yahoo is competing with ABC, NBC, FOX, CNN, TIVO and NET FLICKS?

If this is the direction Yahoo is headed, and I strongly contend that it is, do you really think that Yahoo cares a lick about their current share of the search marketplace? Of course not. They are already so far beyond search now.

So maybe you still don’t see it. Maybe you still think that Google will somehow beat them to the punch because like everyone else, there is just something about Google.

Did you know that Yahoo is now offering free DVR software for Windows PCs? Take a look at Yahoo! Go. No matter where you go or how you access content, Yahoo has it for you on your PC, your TV or your Mobile. Once again Yahoo does it before Google.

Some pundits bring MSN’s "DVR on my PC" foray into the conversation. I see no meaningful interaction occurring there in how we share information and interact online like Yahoo is doing with 360. You also have to pay for it and change your whole OS in the form of Media Center XP.

Sure it has more features and you can adjust the look and feel of it but Yahoo! Go is free. It's amazing what a little "free" can do for early adoption rates regardless of competition.

And what does Google think about all of this, oh right, Google’s chasing Yahoo and MSN.

They are doing everything they can to catch up. They are launching calendar, buying video and photo sharing sites, building Google page creators, launching Google finance. Whatever it is, in most cases Yahoo did it first and still does it better.

It’s beginning to look like Yahoo is in the best place to serve up for each of us on an individual basis to share and interact with in the shape, format and location we want it. After all, this thing was never about search - it was always, and remains, about content.

So where does that leave us, as Internet Marketing Experts?

We need to understand that the days of SEO as a single marketing channel are over and that they never should have occurred in the first place. That people want great content that caters to their interests and in order to bring your message to the forefront you need to be ready to go where ever they go, be interested in the things that they’re interested in and build messages that are compelling enough not to be skipped through.

What this all means is that you will need to build real integrated marketing strategies based around an understanding of who your users are, what they need and how they choose to consume media. It also means that you had better start paying more attention to next.yahoo.com.

(Added 4-28-06)
Now, if only we could get them to stop helping the Chineese government track down dissidents.

Let me know what you think: Leave a comment or drop me an email. adam.schultz@marketsmartinteractive.com
Adam Schultz - MarketSmart Interactive | permalink | +marktd |