6 replies to this topic

[mtdreamer]

I found a couple of charts to show the relationship between the search engines and directories. Makes me understand why I get confused at times trying to remember who is related to whom. My question is: What do they mean by primary search results and secondary search results? ie: msn receives primary results from looksmart and secondary results from inktomi. How do those results display differently in the results in msn?

The chart I am referencing is: http://www.bruceclay...enginechart.pdf

Thanks!

Edited by mtdreamer, 02 September 2003 - 12:41 PM.

[Jill]

Yep, Bruce did a great job with that. We were going to recreate the chart with tables in the hotel bar at the Doubletree San Jose....didn't quite have enough tables...



Jill

[Haystack]

What do they mean by primary search results and secondary search results? ie: msn receives primary results from looksmart and secondary results from inktomi.

Hi mtdreamer,
MSN's turns to LookSmart first for results to queries and labels those results as WEB DIRECTORY SITES. They also happen to make a few cents per click on some of that LookSmart traffic since LookSmart's directory is largely made up of "paid inclusion" advertisers who pay from $0.15 and up per click. They also weave in results from LookSmart's non-profit directory called Zeal.

However, since directories only have a Title, Description, and in some cases a few keywords to work with to deliver search results, the volume of results available is somewhat limited, so MSN turns to Inktomi to supplement the job done by LookSmart. Those would be the secondary results are are labeled as WEB PAGES.

For example, try running a search for "omaha Dance" without the quotes on MSN. When I did it, I received one directory results followed by 36,095 Web pages results. Thus the importance of the secondary results.

Bruce is going to be making more changes to his chart in the future. For example, MSN is testing their own search engine which could eventually replace Inktomi or LookSmart or both.

[torka]

Yep, Bruce did a great job with that.  We were going to recreate the chart with tables in the hotel bar at the Doubletree San Jose....didn't quite have enough tables...

Maybe you should have tried using CSS instead...


(sorry, couldn't resist... )

--Torka

[dannysullivan]

My question is: What do they mean by primary search results and secondary search results?

I keep a tabular chart of my own:
http://searchenginew...cle.php/2167981

It explains more in general about the concept of main/primary results and secondary/backup results. But like Bruce's chart, it doesn't call out specifically the wording used at each search engine (which is a pain, because the wordings change often). But maybe I'll add for the future.

Now for understanding what's paid and what's not, there I do have those type of call-outs:
http://searchenginew...cle.php/2167941

Jill, not sure if OK to post the URLs above myself or not -- if not, feel free to pull.

FYI, the first chart also has links to Bruce's chart along with a few others elsewhere on the web that show relationships.

[Jill]

Thanks for the great info, Danny!

Of course, anyone can post links to Search Engine Watch, any time!

Actually, most links are fine here unless they go to resources which we feel give out bad or erroneous info.

Jill

[Scottie]

Or affiliate or spam links... we don't like those either.