Study Shows Search Engines Not All Created Equal; Reinforces Importance of Metasearch.BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Dogpile.com introduces new features and home page design that significantly enhance user's ability to compare the top results from the top search engines Dogpile.com, the metasearch engine The search engine software that is used to search other search engines. See metasearch site. that delivers the top results from the leading search engines, today announced the surprising results from a study that coincide with the release of new functionality on its popular search site www.dogpile.com. The study found that, on average, there is a mere 3% overlap among the results returned on the first page by Google (Google, Mountain View, CA, www.google.com) The largest search engine on the Web, founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two Stanford University students. In 1996, they developed their "BackRub" search engine, named after its unique page ranking method (explained below). , Yahoo and Ask Jeeves Noun 1. Ask Jeeves - a widely used search engine accepting plain English questions or phrases or terms trademark - a formally registered symbol identifying the manufacturer or distributor of a product . Conducted in collaboration with a team of researchers from The University of Pittsburgh and The Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University, main campus at University Park, State College; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1855, opened 1859 as Farmers' High School. , the study shows that entering the same search term on the most popular engines will deliver differing outcomes, resulting in substantial amounts of missing information. This means that for the vast majority of searches conducted on these sites, users won't see results that are ranked at or near the top of the first page by the others. The full results of the study can be found here http://missingpieces.dogpile.com/whitepaper.pdf. "The results of the study show that search engines are not alike; in fact, the results among them can be quite different," said Dr. Jim Jansen, Assistant Professor at the School of Information Sciences and Technology at The Pennsylvania State University. "For anyone who utilizes search engines to find information, these findings demonstrate that a broader range of top-ranked results can be found by utilizing a metasearch engine, like Dogpile.com, which searches multiple engines simultaneously and brings together the highest ranked results in one place." The results of this study coincide with the launch of new features and a redesigned home page on Dogpile.com that significantly enhance the metasearch experience. The new version of Dogpile.com allows users to compare results across engines, showing them first hand how limiting their searches to one engine can result in missing significant amounts of top-ranked results from other engines. Brian Bowman, vice president of marketing and product management for InfoSpace Search & Directory, attributed the diverging di·verge v. di·verged, di·verg·ing, di·verg·es v.intr. 1. To go or extend in different directions from a common point; branch out. 2. To differ, as in opinion or manner. 3. search results to heated competition among the big search engines. "As the search services battle it out, each is distinguishing itself by offering its own 'editorial' viewpoint for what should be the top search results. More importantly, no single search engine can cover the entire Web and keep all links current. To get the best of to gain an advantage over, whether fairly or unfairly. - Milton. See also: Best the Web, you have to combine results." Dogpile.com has also made it possible for users to see for themselves the extent to which the first page of results for any single keyword differs among these three engines. Dogpile.com's new 'Missing Pieces' tool can be accessed from http://missingpieces.dogpile.com/ and allows users to enter any keyword and see a graphical display showing the level of overlap among Google, Yahoo and Ask Jeeves, and how Dogpile.com brings together the top results in one place. Today's announcement comes on the heels of last month's news that Dogpile.com's parent company InfoSpace, Inc., signed a two-year agreement to add MSN Search MSN Search was a search engine by Microsoft that comprised a search engine, index, and web crawler. As of September 12, 2006, MSN Search is now Live Search. This offers users the ability to search for specific types of information using search tabs that include Web, news, images, results to Dogpile.com's metasearch offering, making it the only metasearch site A Web search engine that searches other Web search engines. Also called a "metasite." See Web search engines. that compiles results from all the leading search engines when implemented later this year. "User intent is as tough to figure out as Mona Lisa's smile," said Peter Kent, author of best-selling best·sell·er also best seller n. A product, such as a book, that is among those sold in the largest numbers. best books, the Complete Idiot's Guide to the Internet and Search Engine Optimization Designing a Web site so that search engines easily find the pages and index them. The goal is to have your page be in the top 10 results of a search. Optimization includes the choice of words used in the text paragraphs and the placement of those words on the page, both visible and hidden for Dummies. "To ensure that users are not missing relevant results, the best strategy is to run one search on a metasearch service, like Dogpile.com. With Dogpile.com's one-stop searching, the best results from the major engines rise to the top of the page for easy viewing." About Dogpile.com(R) Dogpile (www.dogpile.com), widely recognized as the best Web metasearch engine, makes it easy for users to search more of the Web by drawing together the best results from the most popular search engines. Dogpile.com is part of the InfoSpace Search & Directory family of Web search and online directory properties. These products bring people, information and businesses together online to help users find the information they need quickly and easily. InfoSpace Search & Directory is a business of InfoSpace, Inc. (Nasdaq:INSP INSP Inspection INSP Inspector INSP Inspect INSP Inspirational Network INSP Institut des Nanosciences de Paris (French) INSP International Nuclear Safety Program INSP International Network on Strategic Philanthropy ). About InfoSpace Search & Directory InfoSpace Search & Directory markets Web search and online directory products that help users find the information they need while creating revenue opportunities for merchants. InfoSpace Search & Directory operates a family of Internet properties that includes Dogpile (www.dogpile.com), Switchboard (www.switchboard.com), WebCrawler (www.webcrawler.com), InfoSpace.com (www.Infospace.com) and MetaCrawler (www.metacrawler.com). InfoSpace Search & Directory also powers Web search, along with online yellow and white pages, for a variety of Web sites. InfoSpace Search & Directory is a business of InfoSpace, Inc. (Nasdaq:INSP). This release contains forward-looking statements forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. regarding InfoSpace's Search and Directory business, the results of the study conducted with the University of Pittsburgh and The Pennsylvania State University, the new comparison view feature and missing pieces tool, and the addition of MSN (1) (MicroSoft Network) A family of Internet-based services from Microsoft, which includes a search engine, e-mail (Hotmail), instant messaging (Windows Live Messaging) and a general-purpose portal with news, information and shopping (MSN Directory). results to InfoSpace's metasearch product. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could affect InfoSpace's actual results include the progress and costs of the development of our products and services and the timing of market acceptance of those products and services including the extent of user adoption and usage of InfoSpace's metasearch product. A more detailed description of certain factors that could affect actual results include, but are not limited to, those discussed in InfoSpace's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. , in the section entitled en·ti·tle tr.v. en·ti·tled, en·ti·tling, en·ti·tles 1. To give a name or title to. 2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: "Factors Affecting Our Operating Results, Business Prospects and Market Price of Stock." Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. InfoSpace undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact. 2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. |
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