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BizReport : Trends & Ideas : July 10, 2007
MSN Live Search Club games boost query volume
Microsoft’s Live Search experienced a huge rise in traffic during June and some in the industry are reporting that it’s the result of a Live Search Club promotion.
Microsoft Live’s U.S. search engine volume rose 67 percent from 8.4 percent in May, 2007, to 13.2 percent in June, according to new data from Compete Inc.
However, many are putting this jump in traffic down to Microsoft’s Live Search Club promotion which launched in April this year. In May unique visitor levels were around 330,000 but in June this figure jumped to over 3 million unique visitors.
For many members of Microsoft’s Live Search Club it’s the promise of prizes that keeps them using Live Search. By registering with the Live Search Club members can earn “tickets” by playing a variety of online games. Tickets can be redeemed for prizes ranging from ring tones and song downloads to Xbox packages and Zunes.
Each game includes some use of the Live Search engine. For instance, in Flexicon, a variation on a crossword, players who struggle to complete it can opt to ask for a hint or give up. Both options take the player to a relevant search via MSN Live Search.
“If Microsoft can actually leverage this traffic to Club.live.com into actual search users and string together a few more months like this, they could really threaten Google's top spot,” said SteveWillis, an analyst with Compete.
Tags: Live Search Club, Microsoft Live, online games, search engine
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Comments
I cannot get live search club to open up so i can play games any more-- i loved Chicktonary-- was addicted.Whats the problem?
Posted by: Bernice Sharp on October 20, 2007 18:05
The web site has not opened for about a week or so. What is wrong and will it come back?
Posted by: Ruby on October 25, 2007 21:03
How can a company as large as Microsoft pull a scam such as they have done with the live search club. They advertise a website offering free gifts when you accumulate points for visiting their website and playing their games, then take the website off the internet with no advance notice and no information as to why this has happened. No one has any answers for the thousands upon thousands of individuals that like me, that are wondering why we were deceived by Microsoft. I would think this company would have more concern for their image than to pull a stunt like this. I feel I wasted hours upon hours of my time on this website
Posted by: Marge Barclay on October 31, 2007 01:54
I was soooo close to winning a Zune for my son's Christmas. Now the site has been taken off! Unfair!
Posted by: Karen Buback on November 4, 2007 15:00
I redeemed my points and now I can't find out whats going on with my stuff cause they shut down the site. I just want to get an email address so I could find my stuff. It was to be sent out the 27th of October.
Posted by: Jamie Day on November 7, 2007 16:40
Ya, they actually kept giving me a "all games completed" message when I got to 29,500 and then when I finally got to 30,000 they removed the xbox prize I had been going for. What a scam!!
Posted by: Mr.Miller on November 8, 2007 15:09
I did order my prize about a month ago (thankfully) and I received it this week. Is the website ever coming back?
Posted by: K Stone on November 8, 2007 21:16
I too have been playing for an X-box for my disabled son. We have little money to buy one and have been playing every day for a 1,000 tickets daily. Now, there is no games to play! What's up!!!!My son is sad , please ,please get the games back on!!!!!!~!
Posted by: Walter Markham on November 9, 2007 03:42
i have bought four different prizes, and not any have been sent to me .the earlest was back in sept. and i have not seen anything. is this bad business or what .i love to play the games but i dont no what to think ant more. they were gonna be christmas presents,but i not sure now. thanks for the fun ,i am bed ridden,and cant get out of the house.so this was my past time. thanks sasndy jones--------- now i cant even get the message sent
Posted by: sandy jones on November 19, 2007 00:14
I cannot play live search club any more. Every time I try to open it, I can't get it. I really loved playing their games. Will I ever be able to play them again?
Posted by: Cindy on March 9, 2008 14:13
This is so sad, I miss playing the games. Ordered two magazines and got them but was building up points for the journal notebook for my Grandson. I have no idea what is going on but MSN should be very ashamed of themselves. Don't offer what you can't take to the table.
Posted by: Peg on March 15, 2008 22:09
I am finding it to be a real shame that a Corporation named Microsoft actually means micro importance, I would think that other Corporations would follow what people are saying about having played the Live Search Club games that microsoft offerred freely,and stand with us and tell Microsoft that they need to honor people that come to them not spit on them, our friends the other Corporations other than microsoft please stand with us and stop microsoft from treating us like nothings,thank You highly
Posted by: Patrick on March 28, 2008 11:17
I love this site. I accumulated my tickets and redeemed them for a microsoft zune. I received it after about 6 weeks. I have never had problems logging onto the site and aside from completing all the available puzzles on a specific game (I just played a different one until there were more puzzles for me to play) and reaching the daily maximum ticket allowance on occasion have never been denied access to the games.
Posted by: Michelle on July 31, 2008 06:06