Can you ditch Google for a metasearch engine?
If you're using a major search engine to find information on the Web, you're missing out on some of the best search experiences. With the help of a metasearch engine--a service that grabs results from multiple search engines--you'll not only find relevant results quickly, but you might be able to kick that Google habit.
Clusty
The biggest issue facing any metasearch engine is determining how it can compete with Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft without copying them. Clusty does it by "clustering" search results based on keywords contained in the query.
If you search for something simple like "CNET," you'll find a list of results like any other search engine. But to the left of those results, Clusty also displays keywords like "reviews," "networks," and "downloads" that you can click on to narrow results down to a specific topic and find exactly what you're looking for sooner.
The clusters were relevant in each of my queries, and Clusty's ability to search and sort news, video, blogs, and jobs makes it an extremely compelling metasearch engine, if you want more than just a Web search. That said, it doesn't access results from Google (it uses Microsoft Live Search and Ask.com's search engines, to name a few), so if you're dedicated to Google results, you may be disappointed with Clusty on more complicated queries. But if you don't mind losing Google's results, you will quickly realize that Clusty is one of the best search services on the Web.
Dogpile
Owned by InfoSpace, Dogpile is a "feel good" metasearch engine that donates a portion of its revenue to animals in need each time you perform a search.
That may be enough for some to switch to the service, but those who enjoy Google's simplicity or Yahoo's extras will be happy to know that Dogpile delivers outstanding search results, thanks to its inclusion of Google, Yahoo, Live, and Ask results in its own. It even provides search options for the basics (video, images, and news), along with the yellow pages and the white pages.
Dogpile may not feature the "clusters" that make Clusty unique, but the metasearch engine provides a clean design and extremely relevant search results to make it an ideal choice, if you're looking to ditch Google and move on to something new.
Kartoo
Kartoo is a visual metasearch engine, which means that it doesn't display search results in a list. Instead, it displays the top search results in a "map" of thumbnail images of the sites it retrieved. It also features a keyword chart to the left of the map that allows you to tailor the search results to a specific topic, making it easier to drill down and find exactly what you're looking for.
Kartoo's search results are fine for simple queries, but they provide little relevance for anything more complex than "CNET" or "Britney Spears." Worse, the search engine can be slow at times--it uses Adobe Systems' Flash technology--but the company claims that it will speed up as you keep using it, though I didn't see any difference.
If you're looking to ditch Google for better search results, Kartoo shouldn't top your list. But if you want something cute to look at that doesn't look like anything else you've ever seen, it's definitely worth trying.
Mamma
Founded in 1996, the self-proclaimed "Mother of all search engines," Mamma Metasearch is one of the oldest metasearch engines on the Web, and delivers results from a variety of search engines and specialty sites.
Generally, Mamma performs well with simple queries, but as soon as searches become more complex, it tends to break down and only delivers results from Ask instead of the more prominent search engines the other metasearch engines use.
Mamma's search "refining" is what makes the service unique. After inputting a query, it analyzes what you say and suggests other ways to phrase the query to return better results. I found that the feature works well, and it generally achieves its goal of returning better results. That said, Mamma is showing its age and probably isn't the best option, if you're choosing between all the metasearch engines included in this group.
Do any of these metasearch engines do enough to make you leave Google? Sure. But unless you're using Dogpile or Clusty, I doubt you'll get too far before you run back to Larry and Sergey.
Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Instead, it seems as if it's a middle-man, you know?
IMHO, it's just easier to hit Google's page and skip the extra wait (and threshing through all the patently crap results the other engines usually cough up, etc).
MSN/Live has the same problem - but its compounded by messy results, and MSFT's habit of shoving their own stuff to the top of the list wherever they think they can get away with it (search for "portable music player" on it - no mention of the iPod at all on the first page, and packed with Zune ads. You'd think that the largest-selling PMP alive --the iPod-- would have at least a mention in the results, no? So much for relevance).
Funny how they don't get a link on the first page of Google either. They are second behind the Zune in shopping results on google, but Zune.net has a link on the first page, as well as another MS website.
On live search Zune.net doesn't have a link on the first page and neither the Zune or iPod are listed on the link to shopping results, though there is an iPod on the first page of a shopping search, and no Zune.
I'm trying to cut down on my Google addiction. There are a lot of good alternatives:
Search = Exalead.com
Webmail = Zenbe.com
Video = Vimeo.com
RSS = Netvibes.com
Calendar = Zenbe.com
Browser = Firefox & Opera
Startpage = Netvibes.com
Docs = Zoho.com
http://www.oxysearch.com/search.aspx?q=Cars&st=web
It's a meta engine with Google, Yahoo, ASk and MSFT but also adds other related content in right rail. Universal style results page.
A strong alternative to ordinary engines and metasearch engines.
Its a powerful metasearch engine and i like it too much.
It can search for everything you want : web, images, videos.
(great), news, jobs, wikipedia, travel ,Shopping , blogs and ...
This metasearch engine has some unique features.
After searching it rank results by relevance. Why?
However Google, Yahoo, Live themselves rank results by relevance but as they are using of different algorithms, GLseek will rank results again to give best results to its users.
Most metasearch engines can return only limited results, for example they can give at most 300 results to the visitor but GLseek will give all results from above search engines to the visitor. It's a very unique technology which is used in this great search engine.
Glseek Metasearch engine has some softwares too:
1) Glseek Toolbar:
This toolbar has nice abilities:
Email Checker: It can check and receive your emails instantly without logging to your email account.
Auto filler: It fills all of your forms if you want.
Password Manager: It's one of the best password managers. It's really great and can save unlimited usernames and passwords if you want.
Save: By clicking on this icon, the current page will be saved as image.
Search Engine: It can search directly through Glseek search
engine in all languages.
Highlighter: It will highlight the searched words if you want,
for finding them easier in pages.and other abilities.
You can download the latest version of this toolbar from here:
http://www.glseek.com/toolbar.exe
2) Glseek Instant Search:
By opening this software, you directly will be guided to Glseek home page then you can search.
Or in the search box you can enter search term and see results.
You can download the latest version of this Instant Search from
here:
http://www.glseek.com/Browser.exe
It also has some nice search boxes for webmasters and you can get their codes here : http://www.glseek.com/meta_search_box.html
- by NewCityVegas March 2, 2009 2:50 PM PST
- Gooplusplus multi search with internet radio "listen while you search" feature.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(20 Comments)Google is great but so are niche and specialty search engines. Instead of slower meta search sites, however, I prefer a good multi search sites. A very compact search site with unique features:
http://gooplusplus.com