Microsoft is forging ahead with plan B, now that its proposed merger with Yahoo is all but dead. It is expanding its relationship with Facebook to broaden exposure of its Windows Live Search as well as increase its own search ad business. This latter goal, of course, had been the point behind the failed Yahoo acquisition. It is unclear, though, whether Microsoft can catch up with Google in this space without Yahoo — and, if it can, whether this is the best strategy to do so.
