• Live Search Blog , Friday, October 3, 2008 2:49 PM

Details about Microsoft's newest Live Search "sweetener" program were sketchy, but now they've come to light. It's called Search Perks, and it's sort of like the rewards programs that come with most banking cards. Users download an Internet Explorer app called a Perk Counter that tracks the number of Live Searches they run. They incur "tickets" for each search query (up to 25 per day) and get a bonus of 500 tickets just for installing the app.

Tickets are redeemable for prizes like music downloads, frequent flier miles and even cookbooks, and the Search Perks program runs through April 2009. "From cashback to Live Search club we've been building programs to help increase engagement, usage, and loyalty," says Keith Jeffery.

The comments stream exposes some immediate detractors (arguing that Microsoft should improve Live Search's technology instead of "bribing" people to use the engine). But other readers pose valid questions, such as why the Search Perks program is only for U.S. users, and why it must run in IE. "When are you going to realize that people outside the US want to be able to play things like this too?" says one commenter. "Pity only available in the US, only in IE and only on Windows. . ." says another.

Read the whole story at Live Search Blog »