Web Search--Google Google Launches Geographic Location Search Demo
Another entry onto the Google Labs page. This new demo allows you enter your search terms and then enter an address, zip code, or city and state to help focus your results. It was two weeks ago when Overture placed a demo online that looked very similar. Unfortunately, Overture has taken the demo offline. A silly thing to do. This is yet another example of how Google wins. Beta tests and demos offer users not only "things" to try but also something to talk about. Having people try, test, and talk is a very effective way of marketing web search. Other companies should be doing this.
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In May Overture/AllTheWeb launched a calculator/converter option. A few weeks ago Google began offering this service. Yes, Google's calculator is a bit more robust. It also doesn't require a special syntax to use it. In other words you can utilize natural language and the answer is posted directly on the results page. Fine. However, this is not all that unique. Ask Jeeves has been offering "Smart Search" for several months. It places answers on results pages not just links. For example, when you search for the winner of the 1972 Academy Award for Best Actor, note the answer at the top of the results page. Heck, AltaVista has offered a similar service (Shortcuts) with direct links to specialized information services for more than 18 months.
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Nevertheless, it's Google that gets all of the press for being so innovative. Unfortunately many people have forgotten that other tools are still vital, useful, and also doing innovative things.
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Finally, Google states in a news release that the location search feature is one of the first of its kind. One of the first maybe but not a new idea in web search. Northern Light offered a geographic search option over three years ago. Here's what that interface looked like and how the company described it. Lasoo was another product that also offered geo searching. Here's a 2001 article about this product from Search Engine Watch. See Also: Learn About MetaCarta's "Geographic Text Search" Technology
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