Web Searching for All MLA Conference Helena, April 27, 2007 By Greg R. Notess

Overview Databases Overlap & Search Switching Answers Personalization Betas Search Features

Databases

Overlap & Search Switching

Answers

Personalization

Betas

Search Features

Main Players: Unique Databases Roughly same for last 2 years Ask Google Live Search (MSN) Yahoo! Search Exalead Gigablast

Roughly same for last 2 years

Ask

Google

Live Search (MSN)

Yahoo! Search

Exalead

Gigablast

Who Cares? Do you need more than one? If you find everything you want. . . No When you don’t. . . Yes

Do you need more than one?

If you find everything you want. . .

No

When you don’t. . .

Yes

Overlap Good overlap for Organization home pages Major pages, frequently visited sites Not so good for Pages buried deep within sites Forum, social network pages www.searchengineshowdown.com/blog/overlap

Good overlap for

Organization home pages

Major pages, frequently visited sites

Not so good for

Pages buried deep within sites

Forum, social network pages

www.searchengineshowdown.com/blog/overlap

Search Switching Between Vendors Search box Search services Within One System “Tabs” “More” Betas

Between Vendors

Search box

Search services

Within One System

“Tabs”

“More”

Betas

Between Vendors Web: TurboScout www.turboscout.com CrossEngine www.crossengine.com Zuula www.zuula.com Trovando www.trovando.it Geo Searching Flash Earth www.flashearth.com Book Searching Booksearchx3 www.kokogiak.com/booksearch

Web:

TurboScout www.turboscout.com

CrossEngine www.crossengine.com

Zuula www.zuula.com

Trovando www.trovando.it

Geo Searching

Flash Earth www.flashearth.com

Book Searching

Booksearchx3 www.kokogiak.com/booksearch

Database Spread: Google Google Databases: Web Blogs News Books Scholar Patents Groups Maps Imagery News Archive . . . And more

Google Databases:

Web

Blogs

News

Books

Scholar

Patents

Groups

Maps

Imagery

News Archive

. . . And more

Spread at Others Yahoo! Web, Maps, News, Directory, Audio, etc. Live Web, News, Maps, Books, Academic, Feeds Ask Web, News, Blogs/Feeds, Maps, AskCity

Yahoo!

Web, Maps, News, Directory, Audio, etc.

Live

Web, News, Maps, Books, Academic, Feeds

Ask

Web, News, Blogs/Feeds, Maps, AskCity

Switching Within Use “tabs” Look under “More”

Use “tabs”

Look under “More”

One Example Live Search Maps Bird’s Eye View Rotate view 3D View

Live Search Maps

Bird’s Eye View

Rotate view

3D View

Answers Atop Results Google OneBox www.google.com/intl/en/help/features.html Ask Smart Answers sp.ask.com/en/docs/about/site_features.shtml Yahoo! Shortcuts tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts Live Instant Answers www.live.com Click “Help” then Search “Answers”

Google OneBox

www.google.com/intl/en/help/features.html

Ask Smart Answers

sp.ask.com/en/docs/about/site_features.shtml

Yahoo! Shortcuts

tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts

Live Instant Answers

www.live.com

Click “Help” then Search “Answers”

Questions & Answers? Google closes Google Answers Yahoo! open Yahoo! Answers Live Search adds QnA

Google closes Google Answers

Yahoo! open Yahoo! Answers

Live Search adds QnA

Personalization Google ranking now defaults to it If you are signed in . . . And do not turn it off Same results Just slightly different order Toolbar: Track visited pages

Google ranking now defaults to it

If you are signed in

. . . And do not turn it off

Same results

Just slightly different order

Toolbar: Track visited pages

Search Engine Betas SearchMash Searchmash.com AskX askx.com Alpha Beta au.alpha.yahoo.com

SearchMash

Searchmash.com

AskX

askx.com

Alpha Beta

au.alpha.yahoo.com

Search Features Search Feature Basics Exalead’s Advanced Capabilities Cache Copies of Pages

Search Feature Basics

Exalead’s Advanced Capabilities

Cache Copies of Pages

Basics Phrase searching: Still most powerful advanced command Can combine with single terms “ use quotes” to “find phrases of more than one word”

Phrase searching:

Still most powerful advanced command

Can combine with single terms

“ use quotes” to “find phrases of more than one word”

Exalead’s Strengths Truncation: * only at Exalead Proximity: NEAR at Exalead Sort of at Google with “one * two” Refining options on right Phonetic search Approximate Spelling

Truncation: * only at Exalead

Proximity: NEAR at Exalead

Sort of at Google with “one * two”

Refining options on right

Phonetic search

Approximate Spelling

Exalead’s Weakness Not as comprehensive Smaller database

Not as comprehensive

Smaller database

Cache Copy of Indexed Version HTML Images, CSS, JavaScript NOT Cached Multiple Copies Available Google, Yahoo, MSN, Gigablast, Ask, Exalead searchengineshowdown.com/others/archive.shtml Use for Older Copies When Site is Down

Copy of Indexed Version HTML

Images, CSS, JavaScript NOT Cached

Multiple Copies Available

Google, Yahoo, MSN, Gigablast, Ask, Exalead

searchengineshowdown.com/others/archive.shtml

Use for

Older Copies

When Site is Down

Take Homes Try more than one database Browse shortcuts, betas Phrase searching Cache

Try more than one database

Browse shortcuts, betas

Phrase searching

Cache

Questions? This presentation searchengineshowdown.com/booksearch/cil07