TechCrunch Yahoo search deal: TechCrunch now offered as default on Yahoo Search

Tech blog TechCrunch and search engine minnow Yahoo may have signed a secret search deal that sees TechCrunch search results offered on default Yahoo searches for tech startups.

There has been no public disclosure of the deal that we have been able to find, and asking for comment would be like asking Iran to embrace Israel, so we only have the evidence to go on.

TechCrunch implemented Yahoo Search BOSS in November 2008. In a glowing review, the site wrote about the positives BOSS provided. By itself, the implementation doesn’t stand out, and given the post was written by former TechCrunch writer Mark Hendrickson (who as far as I’m concerned is beyond reproach), there was nothing in the works then of something more.

But as pointed out to me privately over the weekend, Yahoo appears to have returned the favor, in a fashion that offers a lot more for TechCrunch than they are giving in return by running BOSS on their search page (in the above shot, we searched for brizzly.) While we can’t be 100% sure that Yahoo didn’t do it out of the goodness of their heart, the chances of that being the case are slim at best. Couple to that Michael Arrington’s constant criticism of Yahoo’s leadership, and the inclusion of TechCrunch as a Yahoo search option becomes even less likely to be something simply done for the love of an occasionally great tech post.

There’s also a post by Erick Schonfield in August 2009 claiming that “Yahoo BOSS Might Be Bigger Than Bing.” I’m sure that the TechCrunch crew like BOSS, but the cheering for the service vs the otherwise negative coverage of Yahoo seems a little odd. I don’t know when Yahoo started offering TechCrunch as a search option, but you get the feeling that there was a strong relationship between the Yahoo Search team and TechCrunch in recent months.

To some degree, I’d say that congratulations to Michael Arrington and the TechCrunch team are in order, because what ever they’ve managed to pull off will be a huge boost for the site. Yahoo may be the search minnow, but as we’ve seen in our own stats at The Inquisitr recently, they still have the ability to drive some really good traffic. I’m sure with the fullness of time though that Michael Arrington will disclose one way or the other the details of the close relationship Yahoo and TechCrunch now have.