Most Searches Lack Vital Info
The average search engine user types in 2.4 words and expects to get back an ordered list of 10 relevant results.
But, is the user a 4th grader writing a report for school? Or, a consultant searching for economic data related to a project?
Usually, the search engine doesn't have enough info to serve the user well.
Here are some solutions to this problem:
1. Verticalize. (Specialized Engine)
When someone uses Indeed or SimplyHired, the search engine "knows" that she is looking for want ads and nothing else.
2. Match (Recommendation Engine)
Aggregate Knowledge is a matching engine offering a "people who viewed this, also viewed that" perspective.
It tries to determine user intent from the behaviour of other people who have searched the same term. And most of us are familar with it from Amazon.
3. Personalize
In the upper right corner of the Google homepage is a link to the new personalized option.
It keeps a record of your past searches and matches your current search with them. Just as the Match Search Engine matches you with the searches of other people.
Source: Onotech. Reference: Joe Smith, Webpronews.com
