Now it is public knowledge that Yahoo has openly yielded to Google in the search arena. OK, nothing wrong with that. But how does this effect the efforts to keep traffic coming to Yahoo’s other services? They do have some great stuff, but is it enough to keep people returning?

SAN FRANCISCO — Yahoo’s website unveiled a new look Tuesday as the Internet powerhouse strives to remain the world’s most popular online destination and strengthen its advertising appeal. The overhaul marks the first facelift to Yahoo’s home page since September 2004. The redesigned page includes more interactive features that reduce the need to click through to other pages to review the weather, check e-mail, listen to music or monitor local traffic conditions.

Another addition, called “Yahoo Pulse,” offers recommendations and insights about cultural trends culled from the website’s 402 million users worldwide.

Yahoo is making the upgrade as it battles for traffic with longtime rivals MSN, AOL and Google Inc. while also trying to fend off an intensifying threat posed by the rise of social networking sites such as MySpace.com.

“Our goal is to have the best page on the Internet,” said Dan Rosensweig, Yahoo’s chief operating officer. “We feel like this (redesign) does something great for everybody.”

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo regards the latest changes as the most dramatic renovations made to its front page since the site’s 1994 debut as a bare-bones directory developed by Stanford University students Jerry Yang and David Filo….. Source: USA Today

[tags]yahoo,stanford university,home page,chief operating officer[/tags]