Top 10 Web Search Engines & Directories

Number 6: Dogpile.com

USER RATING: 4.1 Stars out of 5

Dogpile is an Infospace service that has improved dramatically over the years. As a "meta search" engine, Dogpile searches other search engines, and returns cream-of-the-crop results in one combined list. What's even better, Dogpile also provides guiding search suggestions ("clustering results") to the user, which is very helpful when doing initial research on a new topic.

PROS: Dogpile now uses Vivisimo's "Clustering" technology; Dogpile also combines results from Google, Yahoo, Altavsita, AskJeeves. Most of all, Dogpile explicitly labels the links that are sponsored versus those that are legitimate search results.
CONS: You can't choose which other search engines that Dogpile will search.
USERS' COMMENTS:: "A nice change from Google and Yahoo". "The sponsored links are deceptive... you have to look closely".
EDITOR'S COMMENT: Dogpile is excellent. Too bad about the visual imagery that goes with its name.

Number 5: AskJeeves

USER RATING: 4.2 Stars out of 5
Ask.com, (also known as AJ.com and AskJeeves.com), is powered by the Teoma.com search engine. It originally started as "natural language" searching, where users could type in natural human questions instead of clunky search phrases. Like Vivisimo and Dogpile, Ask.com also offers guiding suggestions and "clustered" results in the margin.

PROS: The interface is fast, clean, and answers are usually very relevant to the question. The clustered search suggestions in the margin are very helpful. Advertising is disclosed fully on each search page.
CONS: Way too many sponsored links; users have to scroll halfway down before seeing legitimate search results.
USERS' COMMENTS:: "Cluttered appearance", "My kids really use this a lot for school", "good for lazy browsing".
EDITOR'S COMMENT: I used to really like AskJeeves, as it offers childlike-ease with its natural language querying. Alas, I am disappointed by the recent advertising overload there. I now prefer Dogpile or Vivisimo over Ask.com.

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