| The future of search is unclear - what is clear is | | | | users cookies that will be set to auto-expire after |
| that change is rapidly happening for all of the top | | | | 2 years, while auto-renewing the cookies of |
| Internet search engines. Google as always is the | | | | active users during this time period. In other |
| frontrunner for many of these search trends, but | | | | words, users who do not return to Google will |
| even little guys like are making waves. In this | | | | have their cookies auto-expire after 2 years. |
| article, I will attempt to cover some of the more | | | | Regular Google users will have their cookies |
| interesting search trends that are occurring today | | | | auto-renew, so that their preferences are not |
| with the top Internet search engines - but I am | | | | lost. And, as always, all users will still be able to |
| by no means being comprehensive about the | | | | control their cookies at any time via their |
| subject. Things are changing on a weekly, or | | | | browsers (6). |
| sometimes even daily, basis, and future articles | | | | Seems it won't be long before Google knows |
| will cover additional developments in depth. | | | | what you're searching for before you do. |
| Universal Search | | | | Expanding "Sneak Peeks" |
| In May 2007, Google - the leader among top | | | | Ask, one of the smaller of the top Internet |
| Internet search engines -- got people talking | | | | search engines, has been using sneak peeks to |
| (again) when it rolled out its latest search concept, | | | | entice searchers for a while now. Searchers who |
| Universal Search. Universal Search was Google's | | | | use can mouse over an icon next to many results |
| attempt to create a single page of search results, | | | | and see a screen shot of the website. No clicking |
| rather than separate pages for types of results, | | | | needed. Google, always watching for search |
| such as videos, images, maps, and websites. | | | | trends, seems to have noticed, because they've |
| When it was first introduced, many search engine | | | | filed a patent for expanding their own snippets (7). |
| optimization firms raced around exclaiming that | | | | Soon searchers on Google may be able to read |
| this was one of those search trends that would | | | | expanded summaries of pages, or longer clips of |
| change everything and that new optimization rules | | | | page text. This tactic appeals to searchers who |
| should be created and followed immediately. | | | | are now demanding more and more information |
| I published an article in early 2007 in which I | | | | faster and faster from the top Internet search |
| noted, "The problem with Universal Search is that | | | | engines, and who don't want to waste precious |
| it can muddy the results, and it can also introduce | | | | seconds clicking on a link and then on the back |
| irrelevant results that a searcher cannot use (1)." I | | | | button to find just the right site for their needs. |
| also wrote, "Clearly, Universal Search will change | | | | Syntax Queries |
| how an SEO campaign is run if it catches on. But | | | | When Ask was Ask Jeeves, the butler was |
| this is a real if - users' search habits are hard to | | | | supposed to listen to your search queries in the |
| change overnight, even if you are Google and you | | | | form of questions and then get answers for you. |
| essentially define what searching is and how it | | | | The problem was, this never worked exactly the |
| works (2)." | | | | way it was supposed to. Instead of answering the |
| And in fact, Universal Search didn't quite take off | | | | question based on syntax, the engine still |
| the way Google had hoped. A post on MediaPost's | | | | responded to searches in the same way others |
| Search Insider by Mark Simon boldly states, | | | | did, by analyzing the words and returning a list. |
| "Universal Search will probably not be viewed as | | | | Jeeves was retired with a bit of fanfare, and the |
| the greatest Google fiasco since Google Video, | | | | engine handles queries in the more traditional |
| but it's clear that it's failed to deliver on the | | | | manner for now. But all of the top Internet |
| vaunted promises made by Marissa Mayer back in | | | | search engines have continued to work on this |
| May (3)." So will we see more of Universal | | | | concept, with Google again leading the way since |
| Search, or will it be quietly put to the side? Will | | | | it has the manpower and brainpower to do so. I |
| other top Internet search engines want to use it | | | | expect that within the next year, this will be one |
| for themselves? Only time will tell, but it seems | | | | of the search trends that the engines will want to |
| like Google needs to do a lot more work before | | | | focus on with a greater push toward answering |
| users really warm up to it. | | | | questions rather than just returning related results. |
| Personalization and Personalized Search | | | | Speech Recognition and the Mobile Market |
| Personalization on the other hand seems to be | | | | Speech recognition is really going to be one of the |
| one of the search trends working very well for | | | | huge search trends in the coming months and |
| Google and many of the other top Internet | | | | years for the top Internet search engines. In an |
| search engines. In an article I wrote a few | | | | interview from this past summer, Peter Norvig, |
| months ago, I said "The basic principle behind | | | | director of Google Research, noted, "[Google] |
| personalized search is simple. When you go to | | | | wanted speech technology that could serve as an |
| Google and type in a search query, Google stores | | | | interface for phones and also index audio text. |
| the data. As you return to the engine, a profile of | | | | After looking at the existing technology, we |
| your search habits is built up over time. With this | | | | decided to build our own. We thought that, having |
| information, Google can understand more about | | | | the data and computational resources that we do, |
| your interests and serve up more relevant search | | | | we could help advance the field (8)." With speech |
| results (4)." | | | | recognition in place, one could go to Google (or |
| As it works right now, if you use a Google | | | | another of the top Internet search engines) and |
| product (Gmail, Google toolbar, AdWords, etc.), | | | | use a microphone to ask a question aloud, or just |
| Google is keeping track of what you search for | | | | say some keyphrases, and get a list back |
| and what websites you visit, and it's then tailoring | | | | immediately. |
| your results appropriately. Search for "bass," and | | | | And speech recognition has the biggest benefit |
| Google will know whether you mean the fish or | | | | for top Internet search engines when it comes to |
| the instrument. As I pointed out, though, there | | | | users of mobile devices. Let's face it, as advanced |
| are major issues with search trends like | | | | as those keyboards may have gotten, they're still |
| personalization: | | | | a pain to use and it's time-consuming to type in |
| Privacy issues that arise from personalized search | | | | more than a few sentences. (That's y txt msgs r |
| are also a big question. The EU recently | | | | lk ths, u c?). Norvig is on top of that too, noting, |
| announced that it is probing into how long Google | | | | "In general, it looks like things are moving more |
| stores user information (this probe was | | | | toward the mobile market, and we thought it was |
| subsequently extended to include all search | | | | important to deal with the market where you |
| engines). AOL recently committed a serious | | | | might not have access to a keyboard or might |
| blunder when it released search data from | | | | not want to type in search queries (9)." |
| 500,000 of its users, and it was discovered that it | | | | More to Come |
| was fairly easy to identify many people by the | | | | As I noted in the beginning, this is just a small |
| search terms that they use...(5) | | | | sampling of the search trends for the top |
| Yet if nobody makes a fuss about this, then it's | | | | Internet search engines today. Google, Yahoo, and |
| very likely Google - and the other top Internet | | | | even Ask are all working tirelessly to get your |
| search engines - will start tracking everyone | | | | business and to make search easier, faster, and |
| behind the scenes, whether they use a Google | | | | more accurate. Keep checking back for future |
| product or not. | | | | articles covering some of the other trends and |
| It's actually already starting - right now, the | | | | following up on the ones I've already discussed. |
| cookie Google places on your machine (did you | | | | References |
| even know they did that?) will expire in two | | | | |
| years - but they won't really expire at all. | | | | 1. 2. Ibid |
| According to the official Google blog: | | | | 3. 4. 5. Ibid |
| In the coming months, Google will start issuing our | | | | 6. 7. 8. 9. |