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Search Engines: Ratings of Sources
Total of 16 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

Recommended Search Engines
by Editors of University of California, Berkeley Library
Our Assessment

This review includes a chart comparing the features of three major search engines recommended by the UC Berkeley Library -- Google, Yahoo! and Exalead.com. (Back in 2006, Ask.com was the third search tool listed.) The editors recommend against using metasearch or clustering tools, warning that their indexes rely too much on paid inclusions, but they do make some exception for Clusty and Dogpile. The way Clusty clusters results can be useful, and Dogpile has helpful features useful to researchers.

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2. Dolores Labs
Apr. 2008
Search Engine Relevance -- an Empirical Test
by Brendan O'Connor
Our Assessment

This blog entry is the most recent comparison review we found. Based on results of 500 random queries, the top four search engines are compared for relevancy in blind tests. Testers rate results as relevant if at least one of the first five listings is judged "highly relevant." While Ask.com falls behind, the other three -- Google, Yahoo! Search and Live.com -- "all answer about 80% of queries effectively."

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3. SearchEngineLand.com
Feb. 23, 2009
And the Oscar for Best Search Engine for Oscar Winners Goes to É Microsoft Live & Ask.com
by Danny Sullivan
Our Assessment This recent review compares Google, Live.com and Ask.com search results for the term "oscar winners," finding that the latter two search engines provide instant answers at the top of the results. Ask.com even puts the answer above sponsored results. For this query, Google doesn't provide a direct answer; Yahoo! never does.
4. InfoPeople.org
Sept. 2008
Best Search Tools Chart
by Joe Barker
Our Assessment This chart at a site designed for libraries recommends three search engines for adults and one for kids, plus two metasearch engines and three directories. The chart includes, for each search tool, a detailed description of its database, an explanation of how to phrase search terms, plus more details -- for example, languages and translation capabilities.
Google vs. Yahoo!
by Joanna Stern
Our Assessment This detailed review compares Google and Yahoo! based on eight different factors, including not only search results but also maps, mobile versions, photo search and other tools each company offers. Yahoo! earns praise on several counts, but Google is the overall winner for its superior search results and maps.
6. The Wall Street Journal
Feb. 4, 2009
Yahoo Lets Users Take Notes
by Jessica E. Vascellaro
Our Assessment

This article discusses the new Yahoo! Search Pad note-taking option, liking the way it offers this tool automatically if it detects you might be doing research at Yahoo! Search. A Feb. 22, 2009, article here by Alex Wright discusses tools under development for searching the "deep web." In January 2009, columnist Katherine Boehret reviewed Surf Canyon and Google SearchWiki, both of which let you customize search results.

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7. StraightUpSearch.com
Feb. 2009
Oneupweb Reviews: Browsys Powersearch -- Search the Web in One Place
by Editors of StraightUpSearch.com
Our Assessment

This detailed single-product review recommends giving a try to a new search engine, Browsys Powersearch, which is really like a search portal. For example, you can log into Facebook from it, in order to continue your search there. Another February 2009 review here recommends Yahoo! for its new Search Pad tool. An Aug. 15, 2008, review compares Google, Yahoo!, Live and Ask for results of a query "Olympics," finding the most useful results at Live.com.

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8. Search Engine Watch
Jan. 15, 2009
Nielsen Online December 2008 Search Engine Share Rankings
by Nathania Johnson
Our Assessment This article reports the December 2008 statistics from Nielsen Online, showing that Google gained the most searches during 2008. Yahoo! trails behind Google, while Live.com fell way behind. A Mar. 28, 2007, article at this site, "Major Search Engines and Directories," provides an expert overview of the major search engines.
9. SeoConsultants.com
Not dated
Top Ten Search Engines
by Edward Lewis
Our Assessment Based on statistics from Hitwise, this chart gives current and past information about the market share of the top 10 search engines. Not surprisingly, Google dominates; as of February 2009, about 72 percent of users choose Google. Yahoo! Search earns second place.
10. The New York Times
Mar. 9, 2009
Better Search Doesn't Mean Beating Google
by Saul Hansell
Our Assessment

This insightful article compares the Google search engine with the Wolfram Alpha search technology (due out in May 2009), noting that Google's dominance is due not only to its continually improving search methodologies, but also to "the breadth and depth of its offerings, such as e-mail, maps, cloud computing and most important, advertising." The reporter, Saul Hansell, includes a link to a detailed discussion of Wolfram Alpha.

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Which Search Engine When?
by Phil Bradley
Our Assessment This article recommends four search engines for most searches, but it also includes links to many more, including 15 visual search engines (that organize results visually -- using clusters or other images). None of the search engines gets full reviews, but the brief descriptions are helpful.
12. ZDNet.com
July 2008
Category: Life Without Google
by Larry Dignan
Our Assessment ZDNet editor Larry Dignan reviews alternatives to Google in this series of "Life Without Google" blog entries. He's not as impressed by Ask.com as he expects to be, but likes Live.com. Yahoo! Search earns praise for its Search Assist feature, which suggests search phrases as you type, but Dignan still prefers Google for its better integration of various types of search.
13. SearchEngineShowdown.com
Oct. 1, 2007
Search Engine Features Chart
by Greg R. Notess
Our Assessment This site doesn't rank or rate search engines, and most charts haven't been updated for at least a year. However, research expert Greg Notess does provide ample information about six major search engines, including full reviews that identify weaknesses as well as strengths. Gigablast and Exalead are covered here along with better-known search tools.
Why Cuil Can't Keep Up With Google's Search Power: Analysis
by S.E. Kramer
Our Assessment This review of the Cuil search engine, new at the time, criticizes it for irrelevant and inconsistent results. For example, three searches within a one-minute time frame get three different lists of results. Another article at this site discusses whether or not searches will come to be dominated by social networks, rather than by search engines.
15. About.com
Not dated
The Top 10 Search Engines
by Wendy Boswell
Our Assessment

This article by the About.com guide to web search recommends the 10 search engines she's found most reliable. Another undated article at this site, "All-Purpose Search Engines," also lists 10 search engines. This is a little confusing, but Google heads both lists, and all the search engines in both lists get reviews based on the author's own tests. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

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16. Lifehacker.com
Feb. 23, 2009
Is Google Too Big?
by Adam Pash and contributors to Lifehacker.com
Our Assessment

More than 7,800 readers vote in this poll responding to a New York Times article on how large Google's market share is becoming, and how it dominates the search arena. About a third of the readers say it's too big but they love it anyway, with another third saying Google deserves to be this big because it makes good products. Quite a few other articles here cover search engines. A July 2007 article praises the direct information provided at Ask.com, while another 2007 review praises Yahoo! for its Search Assistant features. Searching this site for "search engine" produces a long list of reviews and tips.

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