At least once a month I get an email about a new or updated keyword tool that will “uncover untold riches”. Well, there’s only so much money that one can have, so I guess it’s time to spill the beans on some of my favorite keyword research tools.

In the last couple of years, I’ve gone beyond tried and true tools such as WordTracker, and explored Nichebot, SpyFu, Keyword Elite, and Market Samurai and a handful of others.

MSN now offers publisher placement performance reporting. This should lead to better Content network performance. Here are a couple notes:

Much like Google placement performance reporting, it shows a URL’s performance on the Content network. However, it also shows performance on the MSN Search Network (information which Google does not provide)

From what I can tell, you [...]

Live.com has been trying to catch the same train as Google for the past decade - only to end up with a little over 8% of the market. But this may be about to change with kumo.com. The domain was bought back in 2008 that is now being used to test the demo of Microsoft’s new search engine, Kumo.

Apparently Microsoft is buying placement on HP PC’s in order to gain share? Do you think this tactic still works?

Microsoft, HP will be search partners
By Benjamin J. Romano
Seattle Times technology reporter
The next piece of Microsoft’s full-speed-ahead charge for Internet search share is an exclusive distribution deal with Hewlett-Packard.
HP’s consumer PCs sold in North America will [...]

What do you folks think about this? I like this quote, potentially taken out of context
Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said the deal would transform its money-losing Internet division, which it sees as critical to growth, into a profitable pillar of its business.
“We have been losing money. Our plan here would be to [...]