Although it has recently been left out among the discussion of search engines, Yahoo has maintained its spot as the number two engine in the U.S., but with a revamped homepage it is getting more attention, which might cause some to reconsider their search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.

Yahoo is slated to unveil its new homepage at some point today in the U.S. and to other parts of the world later this week, in an attempt to lure users who are looking for one portal which could potentially handle many of their Web 2.0 needs.

Taking a page out of the hugely popular applications on the iPhone, the Yahoo homepage will have a variety of apps users can use such as Facebook, eBay and other outside content. It’s a move that Tapan Bhat, Yahoo senior vice president for consumer experience, says will improve user interaction.

"We’re pulling together everything about the user they care about, be it on Yahoo or off, to create a personally relevant experience," Bhat told CNET. "In a world like this, Yahoo needs to make the user experience come first."

It’s unclear how the new homepage reveal will affect reports that Yahoo is poised to take a deal from rival Microsoft. According to June figures from comScore, Yahoo remains at second place in the search engine industry with 19.6 percent of the market share. While a deal with Microsoft would merge the number two and three search engines, Google still dominates the search world with 65 percent of the market, comScore reports.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.