Search Engine Information

Search Engines - Directories - Definitions

TOP SEARCH ENGINES:

Google - has rapidly become one of the top search engines, mainly as a result of providing relevant results quickly, by using a system called PageRank, Google filters a large portion of the irrelevant results. Google currently lists over 3.5 billion pages in its database. Today, through its partnerships with major players, including Yahoo and AOL, Google powers over 80% of all searches performed internationally.

2400 Bayshore Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, Phone: (650) 330-0100

Fax: (650) 618-1499

Alta Vista - launched in 1995, AltaVista created the first multi-lingual search capability on the Internet and is the first search technology to support foreign languages via its translator Babel Fish. Alta Vista is still one of the top search engines with over 500 million pages indexed and more than 40 million queries a day. AltaVista was acquired by Overture early in 2003.

AltaVista Company 1070 Arastradero Road Palo Alto, CA 94304 Ph: 650-320-7700 Fax: 650-320-7720

Fast / All the Web - established in 1997in Oslo, Norway. It is currently one of the largest and fastest growing databases on the web with a particular bias towards multimedia. Fast / All The Web was acquired by Overture early in 2003.

P.O. Box 1677 Vika NO-0120 Oslo Norway Tel: +47 21 60 12 00 Fax: +47 21 60 12 01

Inktomi is a trusted partner for many of the world's leading technology companies, it is the power behind the search box found on the world's top portal sites such as AOL, MSN, Overture (formerly GoTo) iWon, HotBot, NBCi and many others, reaching more than 80% of the internet population. Inktomi was acquired by Yahoo early in 2003.

4100 East 3rd Avenue, Foster City, CA 94404, Tel 650.653.2800, Fax 650.653.2801

Lycos - there are standard search results, and categorized directory listings. Lycos has acquired HotBot making it one of the major players. Lycos makes use of the Fast/All The Web database for its results.

400-2 Totten Pond Road, Waltham, MA 02451, Ph: 781-370-2700, Fax 781-370-3415

Hotbot - launched in 1996, HotBot was originally owned by Wired Magazine, but has more recently been purchased by Lycos. Search results are served by FAST/AllTheWeb.com, Google, Inktomi and Teoma making HotBot a powerful meta search facility.

Microsoft - Useful andcomprehensive search facility from the Microsoft network, also makes use of results from Overture, LookSmart and Inktomi.

One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052, Tel: 425 882 8080, Fax: 206 703 2641

America Online - Founded in 1985, AOL is a world leading interactive service, with more than 29 million members around the globe. The AOL search facility is powered primarily by Google.

22000 AOL Way, Dulles, VA 20166, Tel: 703 265 4670

Ask Jeeves - human-powered search service that aims to direct you to the exact page that answers your plain language question. If it fails to find a match within its own database, it will provide matching web pages from various search engines. Ask Jeeves owns Teoma.

5858 Horton Street, Suite 350, Emeryville, CA 94608, Tel: 510-555-1212

Overture is the world's leading Pay Per Click Internet search provider, the company was created in 1997. Overture's search results are distributed to thousands of sites across the Internet, including Yahoo!, MSN, America Online, Netscape, AltaVista, Lycos/HotBot, and many others. Advertisers pay Overture the amount of their bid only when a consumer clicks on their listing, providing them with one of the most cost effective ways to drive targeted customer leads to their sites. In 2003 Overture went on the acquisition trail, buying first AltaVista and then Fast / All The Web in quick succession. In July 2003, Overture was acquired by Yahoo.

74 North Pasadena Avenue, 3rd Floor, Pasadena, CA 91103, Tel: 1-888-811-4686 (Toll free in the US) or (626) 685-5600, Fax: (626) 685-5601

DIRECTORIES:

Yahoo - one of the oldest directory services on the net, Yahoo went live online in August of 1994. Yahoo was at one time THE favourite of everyone on the net. It is extremely difficult to obtain a tt however, with only around 4% of all submitted sites entering the database, the company was one of the first (along with LookSmart) to introduce paid submissions.

3420 Central Expressway Santa Clara, CA 95051 Phone (408) 731-3300 Fax (408) 731-3301

LookSmart - currently lists over 2 million sites in its directory database and provides directory listings for AltaVista, HotBot, Microsoft and over 1000 internet access sellers (ISP's). Recently LookSmart changed from charging a once off tt fee, similar to that charged by Yahoo, to charging its customers 15c every time somebody clicks on their link. They are currently facing a lawsuit in California for breach of contract.

625 2nd Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, Tel: 415-348-7000, Fax: 415-348-7050

Open Directory Project - The ODP is a web site directory built by volunteers which holds approximately 1,800,000 sites. The ODP is used by Netscape, Lycos, Hotbot, Altavista, AOL Netfind, Google and a large number of smaller sites.

501 East Middlefield Rd Mountain View, CA 94043, Tel: 650 937 3216