Yahoo! and Microsoft have been online for almost as long as there has been a World Wide Web, and just this week, both of these veteran tech giants have launched new products. Yahoo! has released Yahoo! Axis, a new cross platform tool that connects a browser with their search tools, and Microsoft has launched a social network built around Bing. Google has also introduced something new in the form of the Auction Insights report now available for AdWords advertisers.

Auction Insights for AdWords

AdWords has released a new report showing just who is competing on the same keywords as you. With more information on your own placement on Google and how your own ads are performing relative to the competition, the Auction Insights report will become an important tool for anyone hoping to get traffic from competitive keywords. The report is not available for all keywords, and seems restricted to just the more competitive ones. It focuses on just five statistics including average position, impression share for the keyword and rate at which the advertiser appears at the top. While being far from exhaustive, there is still some very valuable information available in AdWords' Auction Insights report. 

Microsoft goes So.cl

Microsoft's new social network launched quietly this week under the name So.cl. So.cl incorporates Bing's search into a social platform enabling users to share results, queries and interests with their direct connections and with other members of the site. So.cl also includes video parties, a colaborative video feature and a rolling feed of other user's activity.

Yahoo! Axis

Yahoo!'s latest search product incorporates their search tools with a browser. Either as a plugin or extension on a desktop computer, or as an app on iOS devices. To get the most out of Yahoo! Axis you do need to have a Yahoo! account, and to have Yahoo! Axis running on more than one device. The question still remains if this is enough to provide an experience to match Google, and their latest innovations in search.