Businesses using the Microsoft search engine Live Search are set to be rewarded, the firm has announced.

Under the move, the search engine firm could give businesses customer service or training credits, depending on how many employees use the service.

Windows Live spokesperson Whitney Burk said: "Currently, we are conducting a trial programme through which Microsoft is providing service or training credits to a select number of enterprise customers based on the number of web search queries conducted by their employees via Live Search."

Ms Burk added the move comes as "search evolves into more of a productivity tool and revenue sharing becomes more commonplace across the industry".

Writing on Searchblog, John Battelle claimed each computer which has used Live Search could generate between $2 and 10 (£1 and 5.13) a year.

A survey conducted by the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organisation last month revealed Microsoft was increasing its share of the paid search industry.

Last year, some 68 per cent of marketing managers used MSN, compared to 29 per cent in 2005.

However, Google and Yahoo! were used by 96 and 86 per cent of respondents respectively.