Microsoft Wooing Users with SearchPerks

By Geoff Duncan October 3, 2008

Microsoft Wooing Users with SearchPerks

Earlier this year, Redmond software giant Microsoft introduced a cashback program that rewarded users of its Live Search service by offering an opportunity to get a discount on purchases made from partners via Live Search. But you know what they say: money can’t buy you love. So now Microsoft is hoping to bolster usage of its Live Search service by offering…prizes! Under a new SearchPerks program, users accumulate awards “tickets” as they use Live Search, and those tickets can be redeemed for prizes and merchandise when the promotion wraps up April 15, 2009. Participants must sign up by December 31, 2008.

SearchPerks is implemented as a download that appears on Internet Explorer’s toolbar. Downloading the Perk Counter earns 500 tickets automatically, and users can earn up to an additional 25 tickets per day just by using Live Search.

SearchPerks is Microsoft’s latest effort to drum up usership—and, they hope, user loyalty—for its Live Search offering. Microsoft’s Internet search efforts continue to run a distant third play behind both Yahoo and Google. According to comScore in August Google accounted for 63 percent of all U.S. Internet searches, with Yahoo running second at about 20 percent. Microsoft’s search efforts—including Live Search—accounted for an 8.3 percent share in the month. Microsoft hopes offering incentives for users to try out Live Search will increase their usership—and that the quality of their search offering will convert some of them into permanent users.

In the current market, Internet search is intimately tied to online advertising revenue, since approximately 40 percent of all online ad spending is spent on search.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Deals

Microsoft Word free trial: Get a month of service for free

A person using MS Word.

It may not feel like it, but Microsoft Word is probably one of the most popular word processors out there, along with Google Docs, and pretty much everybody has likely used it at some point, regardless if you prefer Microsoft Office to Google Docs. Of course, if you want to get your hands on it these days, you're going to have to buy it as part of Microsoft Office, as opposed to getting it as a standalone product like you used to. While you do have to pay for the subscription, you can get Microsoft Word for a month using the free trial before it reverts to a paid subscription. Also, be sure to check out some of these useful Microsoft Words tricks and even how to run Microsoft Office on the Quest 3.
Is there a Microsoft Word free trial?

Microsoft Word is actually part of the company's wider Office app suite. Now known simply as Microsoft 365 (formerly Microsoft Office), Microsoft's enterprise software is available in a number of different packages that are now subscription-based; the company has retired the older bundles that were available for a one-time payment. That means if you want a Microsoft Word free trial, you'll need to sign up for the Microsoft 365 trial.

Computing

Save $150 on a lifetime license for Microsoft Office for PC

microsoft office professional 2021 deal stack social april 2024 bundle

For one of the cheapest Office deals today, check out Stack Social which currently has a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows for just $70. The product normally costs $220 so you’re saving $150 off the regular price, all while gaining a lifetime license for some very useful software. If you’ve been considering getting Office and don’t want to deal with the ongoing nature of Office 365, this is a good opportunity to do so for less. Here’s what you need to know before you click the buy button.

Why you should buy Microsoft Office Professional 2021
If you’ve been reading up on whether to use Microsoft Word or Google Docs and you’ve settled on Word, snapping up Microsoft Office Professional 2021 is a great way to do so for less. Described as everything a pro needs, Microsoft Office Professional 2021 is pretty great.

Computing

How to double space in Microsoft Word

Overhead view of someone typing on a Surface laptop.

Double-spacing is a great way to organize your word processing, and an excellent optimization that is built into most word processing tools. And whenever we hear “word processing,” one of the first programs that comes to mind is Microsoft Word. This handy software has been around for a minute, and we’re going to teach you how to implement double spaces throughout your next Word doc.