Getting rewarded for the things that you do naturally is never a bad thing. We are all familiar with loyalty schemes such as Airmiles and Nectar but now Microsoft has introduced a particularly interesting loyalty incentive scheme – SearchPerks!

The more you search on the internet the more points you collect. What do points make? Prizes! Or in the words of Microsoft, SearchPerks!

Microsoft is attempting to wrestle to the ground none other than search giant Google by offering prizes to those using their Microsoft Search Engine, Microsoft Live. But before you dash off and start searching for things you really have no interest in there is some small print we need to point out….. the offer is only open to citizens of the USA.

However, the initiative is important for a couple of reasons, even if UK residents are excluded. It shows that the Search Engines are increasingly prepared to pay for addressing your queries and highlights the growing importance of Search and the related online advertising world. The 2007 survey from The Interactive Advertising Bureau reported that online advertising spend in the Eurozone reached 11 Billion Euros in 2007 up a remarkable 4 billion in just one year. A blip? No! The first half of 2008 shows similar growth on online advertising in the UK - up 21% to £1.68 Billion. The rise signals a very tangible shift from conventional to online advertising and marketing. With such huge shifts in advertising spend it is no wonder there is a wrestling match going on between Google and Microsoft.