Popping the question
is never easy

The agreement that allows Google to place ads alongside search results on Ask.com is approaching its expiration date, reports CNN.

The deal between IAC/Interactive and Google is more lucrative for the former than it is for the latter. That's because Google likely sends IAC roughly 80 to 85 percent of the revenue from those search ads. The amount Google keeps for itself is a small percentage of its overall income.

However, this means Google holds a commanding lead over Ask and every other search engine, bringing it the lion's share of search engine marketing dollars. Ask could go to another major player like Microsoft, but in exchange for this devil's boon it would have to accept significantly less savory financial terms.