Yahoo Launches Google Instant Like Service, Search Direct

Tej Kohli IT blog brings you latest updates in the IT world. In a counter-attack to Google's Instant Search, Yahoo has come up with its own version of predictive search. Launched several months after Google Instant, Yahoo Search Direct will help searchers find answers (not just links) faster. Tej Kohli blog brings you the detailed report:

Yahoo unveiled Search Direct yesterday, a service that retrieves instant search results to compete with Google Instant predictive search technology.

Yahoo's new search feature will get users search results as they type characters in the search bar, even before they complete a query, hit the enter or visit a search results page, just like Google Instant does.

The objective is to shorten a few seconds from all search queries, enticing users to look up more and of course, see and click on more ads.

During the launch event, Yahoo officials touted the technique as a move to fetch users 'answers' rather than the typical blue links search engine customarily generate.

Right now the technology covers top trending searches, TV, movies, sports teams and players, weather, stocks, local, travel and shopping categories on Yahoo. Other features like popular music and local listings will also be added eventually. Presently in beta for American users only, the service will be available over the range of other Yahoo products and markets later in 2011 .

Direct Search shows the Yahoo's dedication to its users' search experience despite the fact that Bingo, Microsoft's search engine powers its search results under the 10-year contract signed August last year.

Yahoo takes 88 percent of Microsoft's search engine traffic ad sales to power its rival's search engine. However, Yahoo has complete control to experiment on the front end. Tej Kohli thinks that this new feature may help Yahoo reclaim its lost ground.

Google rolled out the real time, predictive search feature for internet users in September last year, which is an improved version of the Google suggest feature that guesses users' query as they begin to type it.

Early on, Instant appeared to boost Google's search market share, but the company has returned to its usual 65 percent search share range. Yahoo, meanwhile, is hovering around the 16 percent market and is losing share as Bing gains.

For more latest updates by Tej Kohli, keep reading this blog.

Bing Surpasses Yahoo in Search!

Tej Kohli congratulates Bing on beating Yahoo! in the US internet search.

In round one of the battle of the search engines, “Bing” defeated “Yahoo”, marking a historic win!

Bing's bounce over Yahoo in the US search volume should not come as a surprise to anyone who has been following the horse race, but it is a iconic milestone for a small search engine whose major directive is to grab some of the Google's advertising pie.

Throwing Yahoo out of the way, Bing's dream of giving a real competition to Google becomes a little less far-fetched. Bing, together with windows Live and MSN now have 13.9 percent share of all search queries. While Yahoo's share fell to 13.1%, Google still rules the roost with whopping 65.1% share. However, by other metrics, Bing is still at the third position.

Eventually though, the competition is only interesting in the way it inspires competitors to come up with new features and services. The battle between Google and Bingo will play out in three venues:

Basic Search

The recent launch of Google Instant tool by Google, which shows and alters search results as you type, is one example of how search engines will try to trump one another in order to make themselves stand out. The ultimate search results are somewhat same when separated from their interfaces, but there no mistaking Google from the pack now. Whether bingo will follow the footsteps of Google or will do something innovative on its own, is yet to be seen!

Extra Features


It's a pain to use different search engines for different services, hence, it falls upon Google and Bingo to develop the most attractive all-encompassing service that include maps, images and other things apart from the traditional search. Of late, Google has strengthened its real-time search engine to pull better results from Facebook and Twitter. Likewise, Bing has introduced streaming music, games and movie information to its search results. Recently, Bing also updated its Maps to include Cab fare calculator and support for OpenStreetMap.

Mobile


Google has a strong foothold when it comes to mobile searches, since it's a default search engine for iPhone and of course Android. But Bing might get a boost with the launch of Windows Phone 7, along with the Bing's iphone and Android apps. Besides this, the compulsory use of Bing in the Verizon's latest Fascinate phone might not be received well by Google fans, but it will give Bing another helping hand, although forcibly.

 

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