Tag Archives: Yahoo!

Jana Herwig

Yahoo vs Google – Technology vs Advertising

by , Category: Search Engines

Just stumbled upon this observation in a blog post by Daniel Tunkelang where he compares Yahoo’s and Google’s latest key word tools, and chuckled. The occasion was Yahoo’s release of a new BOSS features called Key Terms, and Google’s announcement of the release of a new tool that tells you which keyterms you’re missing (i.e. should potentially buy):

I imagine that the technology behind both tools isn’t all that different–or at least doesn’t have to be. But, while Yahoo makes friends in the technology community (especially among researchers), Google makes friends in the advertising community–and makes itself oodles of money.

Nice analogy, Daniel!

Jana Herwig

Unlimited Queries with Yahoo! Search BOSS

by , Category: Search Engines

While Microsoft got all the attention for its agreemant to purchase Powerset, Yahoo! launched its Search BOSS program. BOSS stands for Build your Own Search Service, and it allows owners of search engines to integrate and use Yahoo! search content to accelerate their searches. This is of interest in particular to alternative, niche market search engines and these are indeed in the focus of BOSS: “Niche search engines often aren’t very good because they have access to a very limited index of content,” said Senior Director of the Open Search Platform, Bill Michels, in response to ReadWriteWeb, “It’s expensive to index the whole web.” Semantic search engine Hakia is already using Yahoo!’s index, Cluuz also appears on their list of sample mashups.

Here is an overview of BOSS’ service portfolio in comparison to the Yahoo! Developer Network.

What’s further interesting about their business model is the revenue sharing proposal:

In the near future, we will launch a monetization platform enabling Yahoo! and partners to jointly participate in the economics of BOSS-powered search products. Either Yahoo! sponsored search integration, with certain implementation and exclusivity requirements, or potentially a payment model, will be required above a specified query threshold.

Check out Yahoo! Search Boss!

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Jana Herwig

Hakia to use Yahoo! BOSS to improve Semantic Analysis

by , Category: Search Engines

Four days ago I started this “Overview of Semantic Search Engines” blog project in which Hakia was featured – today an update came in via Beyond Search that Hakia is planning to use Yahoo’s Search BOSS (Build Your Own Search Service) to accelerate its Semantic Analysis. Hakia themselves wrote on their blog yesterday:

We are pleased to announce our participation in Yahoo!’s Search BOSS (Build Your Own Search Service) today. As part of this initiative, we have access to one of the largest Web directories on the Internet, which accelerates hakia’s QDEXing process and semantic analysis of the Web’s content. QDEXing is a critical element that replaces traditional index to allow scalable semantic search. Without this kind of infrastructure, application of semantic technology is destined to be limited, such as covering Wikipedia only.

The search landscape is currently in a dynamic stage of reinvention. Yahoo! is inviting more innovation to enter the market, while Microsoft validates the importance of semantic search technology with its recent acquisition of Powerset. For the latter, we congratulate both parties, yet are disappointed by the fact that we’ve lost our favorite competitor. From now on, we will look for traces of the Powerset-effect in LiveSearch.

Hope they’ll blog about it if they trace any!

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