Microsoft launched a rewards promotion called SearchPerks to lure Internet users away from Google.The latest iteration of Microsoft’s pay-for-search program is a customized toolbar that rewards users with "tickets" that can be redeemed when the program ends next April.

Users need to stick with the program the entire time to reap its benefits. Live, Search is the name of Microsoft’s web search engine called Search Perks, designed to compete with the industry leaders Google and Yahoo.

According to Liveside, the toolbar just counts the number of times you search, rather than collecting specific information about said searches. Users get 500 tickets upon signing up, and are reward up to 25 tickets a day, based on the number of searches conducted.

To start using the program, visit getsearchperks.com and download a SearchPerk toolbar for Internet Explorer, which tracks search engine behavior. Users gain “tickets” for every search through Microsoft Live Search. The virtual tickets can be redeemed for prizes, such as airline miles, music downloads, games for Microsoft’s XBox video game system and Xbox 360 controllers.

The program was launched as new web traffic figure showed that Google had extended its lead to 63 percent of the US search market in August. Yahoo came in with a 19.6 percent share, followed by Microsoft with an 8.3 percent share. Microsoft hopes that its new program will help to increase their share in US search market. However, the company’s efforts to build search market share is steadily declining. Microsoft Live Search’s share has dropped 1.5% since the start of the year.

The program is currently available on Internet Explorer 6 or higher. Savoye says engineers are also developing a version for the Firefox browser. According to the SearchPerks Web site, the promotion will end on April 15, 2009.

( some search perks prizes )

There are a few more things you need to know:

• The program is open to US residents only.
• You will need to install a small internet browser add-on.
• You can’t use it on any other browser but IE.

Prizes require people to use Live Search for a long time.Those people will earn tickets for each search they perform, up to 25 tickets per day. Tickets can be exchanged for prizes, such as:

• 105 tickets (4 days worth of searches) = 1 ring tone
• 250 tickets (10 days worth of searches) = 100 frequent flyer miles
• 5,500 tickets (7 months worth of searches) = xBox wireless controller

This is an excellent program! If you are going to search for a something you might as well use the one that gives you relevant results like Microsoft Live Search. Since you are using it anyway sign up for the perks and start claiming your rewards. You simply can’t lose with this deal. If you use others you will have to search through pages upon pages of blogs with non-relevant content, be bombarded with ads, and more than likely will end up on parked domains just waiting for you to click their links. Microsoft Live Search has been the search engine to trust for some time now.

Oh,and what are the two top prizes?Get this: a cook book and a Microsoft Xbox controller.

Tags: Live Search, microsoft, SearchPerks, tickets, toolbar