Ask and You Shall Receive

Published by Kristin | Filed under SEO, Search Engines, Search Industry

It’s been an interesting show between Google, the ever prevailing search engine leader & the little engine that could, Ask Jeeves. Each launched a new & improved version of their new search platforms nearly 6 weeks ago. According to some, Ask is starting to gain some momentum & it’s new system is “a much bolder and better advance in unifying different kinds of results and presenting them in a more effective manner. It shows, once again, that Ask places a higher priority than its competitors do on making search results easy to navigate and use.”

I thought breaking the Google habit would be more of challenge, but sometimes the grass is greener on the other side. I have to admit, I really like the layout of Ask - it’s less cluttered & more organized. The search results are clearly organized & compartmentalized. I think this is where Google missed the boat. Their search results are lumped into one, long column. As someone who spends a lot of time performing searches, good design & layout are important elements, as it helps with ease of navigation & efficiency.

I’m not completely knocking Google. In fact, I have to give them kudos for being an innovation leader both internally & with the products and services they offer. I’m still a die hard fan & prefer the depth of their search results.

What does this mean for search marketers? Alternatives! So many of us use Google as our primary search platform. It’s what we all know & default to. Guess what - change is good! With change, we have the opportunity to step outside our comfort zone & push for something better. As with all new innovations, comes many refinements. Rarely does a new product or service get it right the first time around.