The rumors of Yahoo and Microsoft merger came to an end early on July 29 via a press release. If you haven’t already heard, tough it’d not a merger, so the world will not get Microhoo!, but the Yahoo! Search Engine as we know it will be replaced. Yahoo! Searches will now be powered by Microsoft’s new search engine called Bing. The details can now be found on a new website, which was created to be a center for all the information related to this new search deal. So what are the basics of this search deal? Simple:

* The term of the agreement is 10 years
* Microsoft will acquire an exclusive 10 year license to Yahoo!’s core search technologies, and Microsoft will have the ability to integrate Yahoo! search technologies into its existing web search platforms
* Microsoft’s Bing will be the exclusive algorithmic search and paid search platform for Yahoo! sites. Yahoo! will continue to use its technology and data in other areas of its business such as enhancing display advertising technology.
* Yahoo! will become the exclusive worldwide relationship sales force for both companies’ premium search advertisers. Self-serve advertising for both companies will be fulfilled by Microsoft’s AdCenter platform, and prices for all search ads will continue to be set by AdCenter’s automated auction process.

The goal is to have all this is place shortly after regulatory approval, so look for Bing to start powering Yahoo! Search by early 2010.

While all of this is interesting the real question is the impact for the search marketer. One benefit of this “search engine” merger is allowing marketers to focus energy easier. What it really means, is when this deal gets approved, results in Yahoo will look similar to what they look like in Bing today. The results will be on Yahoo’s website, but it will have the tag “powered by Bing”. In short, if you now rank well on Bing, you will now see great results in Yahoo! This is wonderful news for marketers and users as Yahoo’s recent search result quality has been questionable. There are also unknown consequences for users of Yahoo’s peripheral products such as Yahoo! BOSS (Build Your Own Search Service), Yahoo Search Monkey and Yahoo  Site Explorer. All of these rely on Yahoo! and their search engine. We recommend those relying on Yahoo! and these products (including API’s) to start considering a plan-B strategy. Overall, however, we see the Yahoo!- Bing deal as a positive one for the search marketing community. So far we have been impressed by Bing, and we are excited to see how this search deal unfolds. If you are still hungry for more info or have more Yahoo Bing questions, Search Engine Land has a great FAQ on the whole Yahoo-Bing deal.