Search Engines

From my post on 10/17/2002, I would say I fall into the average mentioned in the article "Search wars are about to get personal".

On average, people use two different search engines a month, according to new data from market researcher ComScore Media Metrix. And while Google commands the most loyalty from searchers, even those people find the need to cheat sometimes.

As mentioned I use Google and Altavista most often, in that order. Come up with an equal or better search engine that is one syllable and can be quickly typed and I think you would have a chance at a winner. You may have to promote. Maybe try the orkut approach, you can't use the search engine unless you get an invitation.

I think part of the problem for Yahoo and MSN in trying to wrestle the crown away from Google is that the only thing people really correlate with Google and Altavista is "Search Engine". That is not the case with Yahoo and MSN. They are trying to be more, e-mail, content, search, etc.., which I think takes them out of the thinking for first on the list of searching, unless you utilize those sites heavily for other things and the convenience works for you. If they can truly give better search results then they might be able to sway traffic. Yes, Google has other things going on, Blogger, orkut, etc.., but go to Google and you know what you are there for. If MSN and Yahoo brand their search with a short quick name and then utilize it on the parent site I think they would have better luck. As I said, something quick and simple, like fast (FASTNET, a Internet Access Provider, already has that domain registered, but something like that). Something you can type quickly with one hand.

Only time will tell who the next winner will be.

Some other search engines not mentioned above (some are more or less duplicates on the back end and/or have the same parent company, some utilize one of more of the other to give results, but I have listed several here anyway):

All The Web
AOL
Ask Jeeves You can get to this via a single syllable, but needs to be a better engine and then promote the "ask" domain over "ask jeeves" and it might have a chance.
Direct Hit
Dogpile
Excite
Fast Search
Findspot
Go
Hotbot
Infospace
Inktomi
Kanoodle
LookSmart
Lycos
Netscape
Open Directory Project
Overture
Search.com (previously savvysearch)
Teoma
Vivisimo
WebCrawler
WiseNut