The proposed 10-year relationship contemplates Yahoo! outsourcing search and search advertising technology to Microsoft, while continuing to play a key role in search advertising sales. The European Union is expected to approve the pact later this week.

"This is the first time Steve Ballmer has ever keynoted a search marketing conference, underscoring Microsoft's commitment to provide a true alternative to Google. I'm looking forward to hearing how Microsoft plans to continue pushing the innovation envelope and taking search in new and exciting directions," said SMX West co-chair Chris Sherman.

Ballmer's premiere conversation with the search community comes at a time when Microsoft's Bing continues to fight for market share, with some reports showing Bing chipping away at Google.

SMX West is part of the leading conference series, Search Marketing Expo, which provides in-person events for online and search marketers. Co-chaired by the editors of leading news blog Search Engine Land, Sherman and Danny Sullivan, SMX West will feature educational sessions at all levels, for those just getting into search marketing as well as the seasoned pros. Topics cover SEO, PPC, Analytics, Real-time Search, Local/Mobile Search, Video Search - and more.

For newcomers to search, or traditional marketers looking to build search marketing skills, a special "Boot Camp" track is offered on the first days of the conference.

Registration is still open for SMX West.

The Search Marketing Expo - SMX conference series is produced by Third Door Media, Inc. Third Door Media's mission is to empower internet and search marketing professionals by providing trusted content and community services they need to be successful. Search Marketing Expo conferences are held around the world and include: SMX West (Santa Clara, CA), SMX East (New York City), SMX Advanced (Seattle, WA and London, England), SMX Munich, SMX Sydney, SMX Toronto, SMX Paris, SMX Xiamen (China) and SMX Stockholm.

Third Door Media publishes Search Engine Land, the leading search marketing news and analysis site. The company also produces Search Marketing Now, a lead-generation marketing solution for suppliers of SEM-related products and services, and operates Sphinn.com, a social news site that allows search and internet marketers to share news stories, participate in subject-specific discussion forums, and build their professional networks.


Source: PRWeb
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