(1)
Barry has just posted on the SEW Blog that Yahoo has now officially integrated Answers into its search results.
We reported back a month and a half ago that Yahoo Tests Enhanced Yahoo Answers Integration In Search Results but now everyone can see it for themselves by conducting a search for vacation ideas.I personally feel that Yahoo Answers will form an extremely important part of the company's future. Not only will the Q&A platform keep users coming back to Yahoo (or installing the toolbar for instant Q&A notifications), it also offers a way to improve search results for some topics. Unlike algorithms used to position web pages for a specific term; Yahoo Answers offers not only a comprehensive database of topics people are searching for, it also gives a moderated and democratically chosen best answer for those questions. A search for [viagra side effects] which can often return affiliate links, can now show an answer which is voted for by the community in an environment completely controlled and moderated by the engine.
I've gone into more detail on the history, purpose and future of Yahoo Answers in an article which I wrote just before this announcement was made.
Further Discussion At SearchEngineWatch Forums
