Now many are already slating that Ask Jeeves's new paid search network is simply a copycat service in an attempt to harness these profits for itself - and why not. Many search engine watchers may give Ask Jeeves a chance. Recent stats showed that the search engine usage of Ask Jeeves increased substantially over the first 6 months of 2005, rising by 16%.
But hold onto those optimistic reigns for a moment. There is no denying that Google and Yahoo! have a vice-like grip on the PPC ad marketplace. The paid search market has ballooned into an estimated $5.2 billion industry, and like many other search engines, Ask Jeeves has shared in this wealth by partnering with Google. It was this relationship that helped Ask Jeeves survive after the dot-com boom-and-bust period. And it was Google who accounted for roughly 70% of Ask Jeeves' revenue last year.
Nonetheless Ask Jeeves now has a competitive search network that is growing in size and popularity. Put simply; if its network continues to grow, advertisers will follow. Ask Jeeves will no doubt leave a bad taste in Google's mouth, but only time will tell if the divorce will be a good decision.
