Search Engine News & Reviews

This Month's Featured Search Site:

Google

Google is one of the most popular search engines on the web today.   Using it's link popularity and heuristics ranking system, Google presents users with highly relevant search results, but sponsored links, Google Adwords, and other paid services are slowly diluting the the quality of Google's search results.   Google provides search listings to many other search engines.   In addition to searching for websites, you can also search images, UseNet groups, and the DMOZ directory from within the Google interface. Click here to search Google

With one of the largest user bases, this is the default search interface for millions of AOL users.   Enhanced with Google and DMOZ listings, AOL Search is a fairly comprehensive up-to-date resource.   Filtering by AOL reduces spam and "adult" sites with parental controls to help reduce the number of questionable and offensive sites for children.   Sponsored links prvided by AOL and it's partners.   Click here to search AOL

AltaVista was one of the first search engines on the web.   Recently it has undergone changes in ownership and search technology and is now a business of Overture Services, Inc..   After search results are displayed, AltaVista lists "focused" search suggestions on the right side of the page allowing you to refine your search.   AltaVista provides sponsored links through Overture. Click here to search AltaVista

DirectHit is now owned by Teoma, (see: Teoma for more info)

DMOZ or "directory mozilla" is a categorized directory of websites.   Billed as "the largest human editted directory on the web", all listings are screened and editted by "DMOZ editors".   Also called the Open Directory Project, DMOZ was originally created and owned by NetScape Communications and was sold to AOL/Time Warner, but still maintains some degree of independence.   Those wishing to create their own search engines or directories can download the entire DMOZ database and "skin" it or brand it with their own logo and search technology.   Listings on DMOZ tend to be fairly reliable sources.   Many other major search engies use DMOZ data for secondary search results. Click here to search DMOZ

Excite is a portal / serch engine and mixes sponsored and non-sponsored results in its search pages.   Excite claims to be the top user customizable portal on the web and claims 14 Million users per month.   As a Meta-searchengines, Excite aggregates search results from Google, FAST, Ask Jeeves and Inktomi. Click here to search Excite Warning: Excite uses pop-ups and pop-under ads!

Backend Search Data Providers:
LookSmart
Inktomi
Overture
DMOZ