Exploring the Alternatives

[Brittany]

Nothing lasts forever in the world of search engine optimization. The world may worship Google for now, but it wasn't so long ago when Yahoo! was at the top. It's safe to assume that 2004 will be a year full of change, but one can only wonder whether it will bring excitement or frustration.

Inspired by this discussion, which contains alternatives to DMOZ, we thought it would be interesting to explore some alternatives to Google.

Try to take some time this week to review a search engine you've never used before and share your thoughts. You may review the search engine from the end user's perspective, or you can go a step further and actually submit your site to the search engine, then provide a review it from a website owner's perspective. It's up to you!

A few things to consider:

Are the search results useful?
Is the interface user-friendly?
Would you recommend using this search engine?

Start off the new year by trying a new search engine -- and tell us what you think! We'll be featuring the responses to this thread in an upcoming issue of WebProWorld, so stay tuned...

[rambodog]

Some of the metasearch engines are using document clustering technology from Visimo http://vivisimo.com/ . While Vivisimo is more of a technology provider they do have a search function at their site pulling information from partners and I am now finding Vivisimo is frequently returing better business results on my searches than Google. Google seems to be intentionally excluding the business sites I am looking for and forcing useless (to me) university and informational sites to the top of the listings. It is only because of the Florida update I have found the need to seek a better search. For the moment, it appears to be Vivisimo for many of my searches.

Just as Google was cleaner and had better results than Yahoo at one point we may be seeing a new twist. Google is still easier to spell however. I have big hopes for Microsoft spending some of their seemingly never-ending cash reserves on search offerings.

[OneMoreBite]

Checking out Vivisimo.com I see this:

Problem occurred while using Vivísimo::
Currently under heavy load. Please try again shortly

Yeah, sure, try again. I don't think so. That's not good. I liked Vivisimo a year or so ago, but stopped visiting there - it was such a brain drain to remember the name, and then to run into "too busy?"

Kathryn

[rambodog]

Yes, that name is an issue. As I see now on WebProWorld's home page, several news stories on Google alternatives are giving Vivisimo a busier than normal workout today.

You might also try www.alltheweb.com which is returning "non-Googleized" results that look more appropriate. Hmm, Google could become a synonym for manipulated. Also, www.dogpile.com often gives good results but wading through top results for multiple search engines (metasearch) can be trying also.

[TrafficProducer]

I've said a few times that people are too busy looking at Google, this makes then miss other up and coming search engines.

For a worldwide list view
http://home.inter.net/takakuwa/search/search.html

[janeth]

I like http://www.altavista.com a lot abd they return good results

For the smaller search engines or up an coming I like http://www.webworldindex.com/


But still find myself using Google a lot even though I try not to.

[ldyguique]

CNN's Technology section picked up the AP story about Vivisimo and Grokker, etc., and Vivisimo plainly states: CNN Overload!
please bear with us...

Hopefully, enough will bookmark the link and return when it's not so heavily impacted. I tried it out multiple times yesterday and found it a useful searching tool; i.e., I got what I wanted with the least amount of revised search strings. I liked the layout of the returns; however, until one works with something repeatedly and comparitively, it's hard to determine whether it'll win out in the end.

I remember when I first started online and Yahoo was "it." I found it very awkward and cumbersome and fairly irrelevant or too exclusive to too few sites. I read a review on Web Ferret (it utilized multiple search engines) and tried that out - ended up paying for it; however, as time went on the sheer overwhelming number of hits that were completely irrelevant made it less and less useful (this was when meta tags were just taking off and many porn sites included many irrelevant words). I moved over to Copernicus, which seemed "ok," but Google was picking up the buzz. I loved Google!

However, the net has continued to grow at an exponential rate, cheats and scams are diluting relevcancy, and I'm willing to switch over and test out something that's where Google was long ago.

When I'm researching a topic, I need an array of different perspectives on the same keywords, all highly relevant. I'm willing to eventually trek through as many sites as needed until the information gels into something that I can extrapolate my answer(s).

When I went back to college in the 80s, I found that I learned best by reading several authoritative works on a subject--far better than attending classes. I would periodically drop by my classes, buy the class notes through the student union, and keep slogging away through more and more books. When it came time to write my paper(s) or take my exams, I was fully prepared.

I use the net similarly now, especially for "quick" topics or a quick review of material that I once knew well. I still buy books for comprehensive information that can be perused and pondered; however, the web has certainly become a major tool in learning.

Many who come in here are primarily concerned with PR or where their sites come up. I care about valid data and want relevant sites, not just ones that have been optimized ohsocarefully, but are pale imitations of the content that I want.

[ronniethedodger]

Originally Posted by rambodog

You might also try www.alltheweb.com which is returning "non-Googleized" results that look more appropriate. Hmm, Google could become a synonym for manipulated. Also, www.dogpile.com often gives good results but wading through top results for multiple search engines (metasearch) can be trying also.

I tend to use different search engines for different purposes. Most of the time it is Google still.

But I like AllTheWeb for doing backlink checks with. They seem to know about a majority of them out there, and it is very revealing sometimes. I have noticed links pop up out of nowhere when checking, and have no idea why they were there...but there they are.

DogPile is good for doing quick checks of how you are doing everywhere else. ;0) But they also have the radio buttons for "most relevant" and "by search engine". It lets me see how I am doing "across the board".

AltaVista on the otherhand, I use it for a very special purpose. This is the only search engine that I can find sites that use a certain "free tracker". Plus I can combine that query with certain "keywords". This is my secret people, don't tell anyone about it. ;0) But I can find stats on these sites and which keywords and SE's are doing the referring with. Yep, Alta Vista is cool one to use.

From first glance Vivisimo it looked comparable to DogPile...but the clustering stuff was interesting. Do not understand how all that works...but it wasn't showing too much relevancy on the few searches I did. I will have to look at it in more depth I guess.

[fathom]

Is it possible that MSN or Yahoo (with Inktomi) will give Google a run for their money... sure or some other possible obscure search as Google did back in '98.

Speculation is what it is... but an 80% market share is difficult to let go... meaning if you are looking around attempting to appreciate who will top the top in the near or distance future -- you're not looking at the top today - thus less appreciate where to improve "today".

When the Yahoo press release comes out that they are no longer with Google -- is when I start looking at contenders.

[minstrel]

In addition to the WebProWorld topic Brittany mentioned, there were also some discussions here about Google alternatives in the past few months, including these two:

http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=8415

http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=9250

[ronniethedodger]

Minstrel -- I noticed a quote in one of those two topics dated 29 November 2003 and I will just pass that one on right now.

Originally Posted by cbp

I believe that Teoma has or will soon have the algorithm to challenge Google. Their algorithm is heavily weighted to links from similar sites (themeing), whereas its not clear if Google do this (I don't think they do yet).

[pburton]

How about www.gigablast.com ? Fast to index new sites, fast to search for them. Not as many sites indexed as Google and lacks the country-specific options but this is presumably unimportant to USA users.

[activebiz]

How can you compare apples and oranges - Yahoo NEVER had its own search engine - they are a mere "listing" directory - whereas Google has ALWAYS been a search engine.
But then again, a few years ago when Yahoo started charging for their business listing an exhuberant price compared to them at the beginning begging to get listing they offered for free - it's obvious whose ethics are more desirable.
If the now "paid" listings may otherwise not have been crawled at all - well they probably were not worth it then - and paying for it does not make them more worth the while now.
True - Money speaks - but not necessarily to the tune of quality.I resent the "mood-making" that's already happening through people like you against Google. What have they ever done to YOU? Other than providing since years a rather ethical listing - compared to the cartell/monopoly-forming others.
Go ahead, join the cookie-cutter ranks and allow Yahoo getting richer by the day drawing the money out of pockets. Power is a funny thing - so bright that it seems to blind everyone.
Here we go again - eliminating the middle-class even on the internet. Such action has always led to war - hail, we don't have enough war in this world yet - we want some more. What would you write about without that? Some honest objective view would be nice!
...........

[BernieLJ]

Hello Everyone,

Brittany wrote about alternatives to the Google search engine.

Well, if she meant just to try other search engines, then I'd like to say that I've tried alot of them.

I even tried a search engine and entered the words "Search Engines" in the search box, and even went as far as trying to enter the web address www.searchengines.com to see if I went somewhere and to see if I could get a list of search engines.

I've used many different ones, and actually, as the other guy mentioned, some have just been listings while others have been search engines, but I've been using Google most of the time lately because I had heard that Google was the only one not influenced by greed or money, meaning paying to get your site listed more towards the top or beginning of the results, so that's why I usually use Google now, because of the possibility that Google is the only search engine where your site doesn't get listed first just because you paid big money to have it listed there.

However, sometimes I do use other search engines just to see different results possibly, or sometimes I'd like to get results from the "business" listings, but I really like to have an alternative to that, meaning that I sometimes want results, most of the time actually, where the results aren't influenced by money, and if that's true, then as far as I know, there isn't an alternative to Google, because from what little I know about search engines, Google is the only one where the search results aren't influenced by "paying customers," unless another search engine has come along within the past six months or so.

So, what I'm saying is that I like to have it both ways, as a matter of choice so to speak, but I suppose that those people who have paid money to get their sites listed ahead of non-paying people might think that it's unfair to them to have a search engine that doesn't place them at the top.

I actually have my system set up to have a list of search engines, so I can choose which one that I want to go to and use, without typing the address in, but I do also have my system set up to use Google as the default search engine.

I don't know if I should dare say that my personal opinion about Google, and search engines in general, is that Google has more "honest results," but yes, to me it doesn't matter which search engine is number one, just so long as they work or do their job.

Anyway, I don't know anything at all about search engines other than how to use them, so I can't really make intelligent comments about them, and I'm not even sure if what I had mentioned is true or not, that the Google search engine isn't influenced by money meaning that the "paying customers" would get their results listed before the non-paying ones, or more towards the top or beginning of the results, or not, but that's what I had heard so that's the main reason why I use it as my default search engine.

[alienzhavelanded]

I've totally disappeared from Google overnight, and I have no idea why. Do I care? Not really, Google isn't all that and it's not why I design web sites to begin with. Personally I've been unhappy with their results as of late, as it seems most of the stuff that winds up in the top 10 is a bunch of garbage not really related to my search. (Yes I know you can filter your results, thanks.)

Why I've suddenly lost some awsome rankings is a good question, but not one I'm going to lose sleep over. The other SEs list me just fine LOL Being suddenly dropped is puzzling though.

Other engines I use:
MSN-Becoming a better SE quickly, you don't get alot of the junk that Google throws up.
Dogpile-Actually makes more use of the meta tags.
Alta Vista- A popular engine, although Google users might not think so.
Ask Jeeves- The nice thing about Jeeves is you can actually ask it a question for your search. Something easier for Joe Schmoe out there to do.

The Martian

[Gary Golden]

I don't really have any preference to any of the search engines, presently I get pretty good results from them all, GOOGLE has lowered my PR but now I find my site on dozens of extra keywords. So the +'s far outweigh the - for me at least, I have been hearing alot about Vavisimo at least I think that is the name of it. When I checked it out last night I ranked high on many keywords though I don't know how people remember the name!

It just goes to show good names are harder to come by, hold on to those good names as values are going up!

Thank you,

Gary

[dealercrm]

The following is a list of the TOP 50 Search Engines ranked by Alexa.com

http://www.freewebsubmission.com/

I prefer the following:

1. Google.com
Still the most extensive.
2. WebCrawler.com
I can search multiple search engines at once.
3. Teoma.com
Provides me drill down results. Sifting is a great concept... Maybe MSN will come up with this too to kick Google off my #1

[Paul31]

THe key issue in my own opinion is freedom of speech. I read a while ago about google.de and france dropping certain websites due to the expression of contraversial views. My main concern is that the likes of Microsoft intend to destoy the web and bring it under 'control'. We need to fight against the power of large search engines who are no doubt being taken over by powerful forces and ensure that the web remains an incredible thriving democracy beyond anything ever before imagined. Ultimately we have control over which channels we use but we must take seriousely the damage paid inclusion does to this democracy and fight against any search engine wishing to dominate/ control the web and us. I certainly won't ever support or encourage the use of any paid engine and would encourage people to buoycot any engines that drop sites based on their view points. Information is power in this new world and big search engines have ALOT of potential to control in the future.

[kohsis]

Hello,

yurweb -- http://www.yurweb.com

A search page that can be used to compare search results among a number of the most popular engines. Search directories, engines and meta engines by keyword from a choice of three different interfaces.

Why search one popular se at a time when you have the opportunity to them all from one site?

Suggest a search engine and we will add it to our site!

Cheers!

[Biffy]

I'm a web developer and use Google all the time. I'd be lost without it for trying to find technical answers to stuff.

I also use the Google toolbar - it's very convenient, and the autofill option is a great time saver when I'm having to test web forms over and over.

In fact, the only time I ever use other search engines is when I really can't find the answer to my problem, or when doing a currency conversion (yahoo). I either then go to specific websites and use their search options (or Google's toolbar - search site option), or I try others such as altavista or yahoo.

I know there are other search engines/directories, but none have the extensiveness that Google does...and how many other search engines let you change the writing on the site to Klingon, for instance (http://www.google.com/intl/xx-klingon/)...?

Okay, that's just for fun but at least it shows Google has a sense of humour!

[TrafficProducer]

a list of search engines

Here's a couple of links

Accord Marketing

and

takakuwa search