July 2, 2004 Archives

Google is the number one search engine because of its search results. Google's search results (to the most part) are more relevant then all the other search engines. Every competing engine talks about how and why their search algorithms are better at bringing back more relevant search results then the next. Most say, that is why Google is the leader in the industry, they have more relevant results then the rest.

My question is, will relevancy make a difference when Microsoft enters the search race?

I am not questioning whether or not Microsoft can build a more relevant engine then Google or Teoma. What I am questioning is if Microsoft needs to build a more relevant or equally relevant engine.

Let's take two areas where Microsoft monopolizes on. The first is the operating system market. Is Windows a better and more user friendly operating system then Apple's OS X or Linux? I don't think so. How often do I hear people complaining about how stupid Windows is. All the complaints on computer crashes and issues with viruses or spyware make me sick. Why do you Windows people accept these issues? Why don't you switch to an Apple computer? Second example, Microsoft's Internet Explorer. In reality it is a poor example of a Web browser. All the IE exploits where a hacker can take over your computer and destroy all your files, simply because of a single exploit in IE. IE doesn't have tabbed browsing or other basic functions one can find in Firefox and other popular, non Microsoft, browsers. Why do you use IE?

The answers to these questions is that you use Microsoft products because you always had. Computers came out, it was easier and cheaper to buy a PC running Windows on it then to buy a PC with Linux or an Apple computer. Now that you have Windows pre-installed on your PC, hey, Internet Explorer is on it, so its easy and cheaper to use IE then an other browser.

I can see the same logic being used for MSN Search. There is no doubt in my mind that MSN Search one day will be built into the Windows OS. It will be easier and cheaper to use the built in and pre-installed MSN Search then to use Google, Ask or Yahoo. You'll "live with" less relevant results, because its easier and cheaper to use something that is pre-installed. And as MSN Search gains market share, the results will get worse and worse. Just like IE keeps getting worse and worse, as compared to the newer browsers available today. Why? Because Microsoft has captured the market and the searcher has no where else to go. Because its too hard to type in google.com into my browser, I have MSN Search built into my OS.

I am afraid for the future of search, a future where relevancy does not matter as much.

It seems everytime I am turning around these days, someone new has the newest, greatest, and most POWERFUL search engine on the planet. I just wish someone would make a search engine to find my lost car keys. I and every other internet user has lots of choices these days when it comes to search. You've got: MSN...the new new search engine. Yahoo...the once upon a time new search engine (while back), Google...we still have the best search engine in the universe. Ask...our search engine answers questions, and now Apple...the search engine with the user in mind. I like it. Barry will be excited too. ;-)

Apple is taking on Microsoft and the major engines in a battle for the best desktop search and eventually web search capability. Apples plans to release Mac OS 10.4 Tiger next year to the excitement of many mac users. Integrated with the ability to let users search their hard drives and the Web using a single tool. Microsoft is taking on this challenge as well with the release of its Longhorn OS. Apple delivers Tiger in the first half of '05, it's possible it will have quite a lead on Longhorn which will be released sometime early 2006 (est).

Steve Jobs puts it well, in that it is "easier to find something from among a billion Web pages with Google than it is to find something on your hard disk."

Check out the new article here: Apple-MS search engine battle begins

Reports on Yahoo!'s new design has been released as far back as late May with the rumors of Yahoo!'s new home page and inside pages. Now Yahoo! is publically asking people to test out the new design. In fact, do a search at Yahoo! Search on the term search engine and you will see this message to use try out the new design. Here, give it a try below.

The major difference in the design is the top portion of the page. Its cleaner, the tabs are less tabular, results are shown up higher on the page, the related search is cleaner and the definitions is at the top of the page. Overall, I like the new layout.

Forum coverage at:

• WebmasterWorld
  
• Search Engine Watch
  
• JimWorld

I was raised to be concerned about things.

First it was the ants, which marched one by one to get out of the rain, but one of them always stopped to do something, which held up the whole parade. Or, it was the sheep and whether or not it had enough wool, which my father sang to me in Swedish, as his mother did to him.

While a little girl, I not only learned to spell B.I.N.G.O., the name of a dog, but I became a bit confused and surely scared singing about ears hanging low and eyes popping out.

Now grown up, things haven't improved much.

With web sites, there's danger lurking at every turn (and click). At Cre8asiteForums, members and moderators feast daily on subjects ranging from usability to starting an online business. And, of course, figuring out what makes search engines tick. We worry about spelling, keyword placement and whether our web sites have enough wool to cover our expenses, or even better, earn a profit.

Sadly, sooner or later, it seems as though everyone's meatball falls off their plate of spaghetti and they chase down logs, analyze click paths, question their SEO/SEM and camp outside the nearest persuasive architecture guru's door, hoping for a miracle cure to raise traffic, sales and rank.

I thought, therefore, it was time to write a song.

Continue reading "Your Web Site is Not a Meatball"

Looks like Wallstreet feels that Microsoft's MSN search is going to cause major problems for the other search players. Of course, Google is not public yet but Yahoo, Ask Jeeves and LookSmart are all public companies. So a graphed their stock performance between June 1st and July 1st. Each search company had a down day based on MSN's news. Take a look for yourself:

Forum coverage at WebmasterWorld.