Search Engines and Algorithms: MetaSearch Engines, A Tool for SEO - Types: Bias, Specialty, Visualization, All-in-one
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5. The Bias MetaSearch
The Bias MetaSearch is an engine that can skew results based on importance of a particular search engine by presenting bias points or values.
Myriad Search is a prime, and maybe the only, example of a Bias MetaSearch. Myriad allows you to compare results from the four top web search engines: Google, MSN, Yahoo, and AskJeeves; then tweak their relative importance in the overall results by adding to or subtracting bias values. It is designed primarily to help search engine optimizers to view competitive intelligence research on keywords. While this is similar to what you'd see with other meta search engines, Myriad Search also displays the result description for each page found, sums up the "authority" value of a web page as determined by its position in all of the search engines, and votes accordingly. By default, #1 ranking pages get a score of 10; if all four search engines checked by Myriad Search return #1 rankings for a page it gets a score of 40, and an authority value of 100%. Its simple algorithm gives the SEO an interesting perspective on the relative importance that search engines assign to web pages, and possibly their relevance, as well. You can also override the search engine algorithms by adding or subtracting bias points that will cause results from a particular engine to become more or less important in the results pages. Because this is fairly new technology, and no one knows exactly how each search engines algorithms weighs individual factors, it may require some playing around to come up with the results you need.
6. The Specialty MetaSearch
Specialty MetaSearch engines are types of MetaSearches geared towards a particular result, such as news, documents, images, digital media, or topics.
The prototype, AllInOneNews, is a News MetaSearch engine. It only compiles news in its return of results for a particular search query. It’s currently connected to about 50 news servers, but anticipates that number to become in the thousands fairly soon. Because it is on a standard commercial server, its response time is very slow, but I have achieved fairly relevant results with this MetaSearch Engine.
7. Visualization MetaSearches
These MetaSearch engines compile results in such a way as to provide a unique experience to a search. Many can compile the results into Flash movies, maps, or give you previews of the webpage with the relevant keywords.
SurfWax is a MetaSearch Engine that gives you visual results, by allowing you to preview your relevant site matches and the web page to see exactly where in the page your keyword phrase is listed. Another example of a Visualization MetaSearch is KartOO. KartOO uses Flash to draw interactive maps, and to show how websites are interconnected with keywords. Other similar MetaSearch Engines are Jux2 and Ujiko.
8. All In One MetaSearch Engines
Unlike the other MetaSearch Engines, All-in-one searches allow you to query any number of search engines from one page, individually. While this technically isn’t a true form of the MetaSearch, these types of engines do allow a more concise search pattern without having to open multiple browsers, as you can do your searches from one page.
Proteus demonstrates this searching ability. It lets you easily send your search to any one of several search engines, while also linking to that search engine’s help pages.
Next: Other MetaSearch Engines >>
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