Google & Yahoo Search Deal

From 2000 through 2004, Yahoo partnered with Google for search results. Yahoo used some of Google’s “editorial” results as well as its ads.

After that deal ended, Yahoo used its own technology to create editorial listings and search ads. However, in June 2008, Yahoo sought a deal that would allow it to mix Google’s listings and ads among its own, in hopes of generating more revenue.

Around the same time, Microsoft had sought to purchase Yahoo. Here’s our comparison of the Microsoft and Google deals involving Yahoo, at the time.

Yahoo and Google abandoned the deal in November 2008, after the US Department of Justice signaled it would fight it on anti-trust grounds.

With Google out of the picture, Microsoft tried again for a deal with Yahoo, this time not to acquire the company but instead focused on effectively running Yahoo’s search operations. That Yahoo-Microsoft went through in 2009.

The deal didn’t perform as hoped, leading Yahoo to seek new terms giving it more flexibility on using other search providers. For more about that deal, see our Yahoo-Microsoft Search Deal page.

With this new option, Yahoo announced in October 2015 that it was again seeking a deal with Google to power some of its results.

The stories below have more background on the 2008 and 2015 deals.