Microsoft trickling out its Spring Live Search update

Last we heard from the Live Search team, Microsoft's plan of record was to deliver an annual Fall update and an annual Spring update. The Spring update has started arriving slowly in pieces.

On May 3, Microsoft refreshed its Live QnA search functionality. On May 7, Microsoft rolled out a refresh of the Live.com search page.

Is this the extent of what Microsoft's expected spring Live Search update, codenamed "Rome," will deliver?

According to a Microsoft spokeswoman, there's more to come on the Live Search spring update front:

"Live Search is on a Fall/Spring release cycle, and we will gradually roll out updates at these intervals to improve the experience for both advertisers and consumers. The recent updates you've noticed are part of the latest release, and we will continue to test and implement various features and functionality over the next couple of weeks."

Supposedly, Microsoft will show off at its ad summit later this month improvements to vertical (shopping) search and search relevance. (Given Microsoft execs are claiming they've increased the size of the Live Search index four times in the last year, one would hope relevance would get a boost.)

It's hard to know how much Microsoft's Yahoo bid (and subsequent back-off) played into the seemingly slow trickle of the Rome update. Wasn't Microsoft also looking at rebranding (yet again) Live Search, as part of the Rome release? The Yahoo confusion no doubt led to postponement there, as well.

"Yahoo would have given (Microsoft) ad inventory and lots of eyeballs, (plus) 30% of search queries total," said one source who has been keeping close tabs on Microsoft's Live strategy and who requested anonymity. "Search is the best way to get ads out there that make money. Ads improve relevance, when you have inventory. You need to improve relevance dramatically to get people to switch. (This) won't happen with Rome."