With Microhoo now a distant memory, Microsoft has set its sights on tackling search without a major partner. But that campaign may be a long-term proposition, according to one company executive.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft's SVP for the search, portal and advertising platform group, said that the company will compete with Google -- eventually.

"We are going to take a long-term perspective," Nadella said during a keynote presentation at the Search Engine Strategies conference. "We clearly have the wherewithal to invest. If we can hunker down and come at it again and again, we will have the opportunity to gain our fair share."

Microsoft currently has about 10 percent of the search market, but growth has been slow to come to the company, which has so far failed to attract new users with its cash-back promotion.

One problem for Microsoft may be its inability to connect with consumers. Yesterday, The University of Michigan released The American Customer Satisfaction Index, which found that Google has made the greatest strides among search engines and portals in terms of winning consumer praise.