• Stone Temple Consulting, Wednesday, August 6, 2008 4:15 PM

Brad Goldberg is general manager of the Search Business Group at Microsoft, where he oversees product management, planning and marketing for Live Search. Eric Enge picks Goldberg's brain in this interview, asking questions about Microsoft's game plan for gaining search market share and the cashback program, among other things.

With regards to market share, Goldberg acknowledges that Live Search had made modest gains according to the latest comScore report--but notes that paying too much attention to monthly fluctuations wasn't part of Microsoft's long term strategy. That strategy focuses on increasing the relevancy of results, simplifying the search process (so that people can accomplish their tasks easier) and turning the entire search model (for users and advertisers) on its head.

Goldberg elaborates on why the final prong of the strategy is most important, and how Microsoft intends to do it by focusing on reshaping four key verticals--local and maps, entertainment, health, and commerce--and how Cashback is working in the commerce sector.

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