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Ask.com and Google's Current Impenetrable Position

by: Kevin Maney October 06, 2008 | about stocks: GOOG / MSFT / YHOO    
Kevin Maney

Kevin Maney

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What's it going to take to stop Google (GOOG) in search? It's not apparent right now.

Yahoo (YHOO) Search is never going to do it, because Yahoo essentially offers the same kind of search and same kind of results as Google, and Google has become a habit while Yahoo has not. No matter how Yahoo markets itself, it is destined to be Avis to Google's Hertz; Pepsi to Coke; Frazier to Ali -- or in a worst case scenario, Newark to Manhattan.

Microsoft (MSFT) is having a bit of success in search now that it's borrowing from the last-century idea of banks giving away toasters to people who open savings accounts. Microsoft last week unveiled SearchPerks, a giveaway program that builds on its Live Search Cashback effort. But apparently Microsoft is mostly stealing share from Yahoo, not Google.

So now Ask.com is launching what it says is a newer, smarter version of its question-answering search site. Ask is smart to at least offer a different kind of search than does Google. Results are parsed out and categorized, and when you type in a question, Ask both parses the sentence looking for an answer and also digs through Q&A type sites looking for exactly what you're asking. As I argued a couple of years ago, Ask in some ways is a more satisfying search experience compared to Google. But it doesn't seem to be what the public wants right now.

I'm also not sure about the new version. I tried one question on the site: "Does Sarah Palin have a dog?" The first full answer that came up reads: "Sarah Palin does not own a dog. She kills every animal she sees." Imagine that turning up in sixth-grade civics student's essay.

More than likely, Google is untouchable until some company -- a start-up, I'll bet -- redefines what search is in a way that makes us feel like Google's broad, unfiltered text search is old and cumbersome. The way we felt about DOS after the Mac appeared, or dot-matrix printers after ink-jet. What that will look like, I don't have a clue.

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This article has 4 comments:

  •  
    Oct 06 01:29 PM
    I tried your question 'Does Sarah Palin have a dog?' on Google and 'Sarah Palin does not own a dog. She kills every animal she sees' is also the first result.
    Not sure what you were trying to prove and what were you expecting, but shouldn't you at least have used the same query across different search engines to make an informed judgement?

    Rafael
    Reply
  •  
    Oct 06 03:03 PM
    The first search engine I ever used was LEXIS/NEXIS, back in 1987. I believe this is still available only by subscription. It provided MUCH more control over how to locate the search terms, and I can't understand why, over 20 years later, the best free search engines are so much weaker. Google is a great company, but its produt is not insurmountable.
    Reply
  •  
    Oct 06 03:36 PM
    I think I found the next Google which is Xoole, they let website owners be in the search results as well as the right side border for flat fee. And I know most say well Google is free, but you are wrong I spend more in seo then I have with ppc and most seo companies take 3 to 6 months to get to the top of the results. With Xoole it takes mins, once I sign up all my pages are ready for me to bid on really easy to use. One thing that I like about Xoole is that it will get the kewords for you rather than you pick your own, which like some (ask.com) dont put relevant keywords with there ads. Which is unfair to the rest of us that dont have tons of money.
    Why do I think Xoole is the next Google because they took two good technologies and put them together to create something special, and if they can keep up this kind of thought process will be something really special.
    Reply
  •  
    Oct 06 04:08 PM
    There is no substitude, goog is still the best. jerry w.
    Reply
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