Amazon switches search partners

As Google continues its expansion away from pure search, it's starting to see a reaction from other Internet companies.

Online retailer Amazon, for one, has switched search partners from Google to Microsoft. Amazon's Alexa search toolbar and A9 search engine now get results from MSN Live instead of Google.

Bloggers speculated that the move was a reaction to Google's growing encroachment on Amazon's turf. Google recently launched a program allowing publishers to sell online access to texts through its book search site.

Blog community response:

"Google dumpings are the industry's way of saying, 'you can serve our cake but you can't bake your own.'"
--Search Engine Lowdown

"As Google has moved deeper into shopping services and book sales, it's been on a collision course with Amazon. But my guess is that money was probably more important than strategy in this decision."
--Rough Type

"Therefore, the step taken by MSN might be yet another way to compete with Google. Probably in near future we can experience a whole lot of changes in the search engine market."
--Unofficial SEO blog