May 19, 2008
Biznology Blog by Mike Moran
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Do You Want a Visual Search Engine?
Recently I complained that it's harder than ever to get interested in new search engines. So, as my cosmic comeuppance, it seems like every day I am running across a new search engine, and many of them claim that their big innovation is that they're visual. Maybe it's just me, but I am not really looking for a visual search engine. I'm looking for the right answer. In truth, however, it could just be me, because I am one of the least visual people around.
When I was in college, I was given a test to determine my preferred learning modes, and was told that I was in the 95th percentile in verbal learning ability. (Are you impressed?) I was also told that I was in the 3rd percentile in spatial learning ability. (Ouch.) So, you're lucky that I became a writer instead of an interior decorator. (And so are the small people at my house with open mouths yelling, "Food!")
But most of the world is more visual than verbal, which is why most people prefer TV to books, and video games to radio. So, as a public service, let me talk to you about a couple of new visual search engines. I don't know why anyone would prefer to use these engines over traditional ones, but maybe that's because I am visually challenged.
Even though I don't get them, you need to remember that I didn't get Twitter either, and now I like it. So in addition to being a verbal learner, I might be a slow one, too.
The first one to talk about is Viewzi. I took a look at Viewzi and was momentarily thrown by exactly what I was looking it. After a little more inspection, I was permanently thrown. The search results are displayed as screen shots of the page with the information, with optional filters that help you further drill into the results. Other people told me what a great idea this is, and maybe it is. You have to be invited to see it, so most of you probably can't take a peek. But if you do get a chance to look at it, please tell me how this gets you better answers or saves you time. I admit to being too stupid to use this search engine. Like Twitter, maybe I will get smarter about it, but my first impression of Viewzi was that I would not be returning.
The second search engine worth mentioning is SearchMe. This one holds more appeal for me, although I found the screen previews (the visual part) overbearing. It shows big screen shots of pages that you leaf through, book-style, to see the top ten results. As a visual search engine, I didn't like it (are you seeing a pattern here?) but I found other aspects that I liked. To me, it's more of a social search engine, because it relies on feedback from searchers to refine results. It asks you to choose between different senses of meaning for words and categorizes search results based on them. If SearchMe catches on, then as more people use it, you'd expect the categories to get richer and the search results better.
But this post was supposed to be about the visual. And I am hard-pressed to see how either of these innovations are better than the well-designed Ask.com interface that previews pages when you mouse over the binoculars icon. Ask gives you the traditional list view that makes it easy to scan the results for what you are looking for, and it gives you a way to preview the page before you click. To me, that's the best of both worlds.
As I complained in my earlier post, it continues to get harder for me to get excited about new search engines. If Google introduced these features, then it would be worth considering the impact on search marketing. These visual features might give an advantage to sites with pleasing visual designs, rather than those with pure text appeal, because those screen previews would favor higher clickthrough to sites that look good.
So search marketers might want to think ahead. Just as those who began emphasizing video content reaped the benefits when Universal Search debuted, perhaps you might consider better visual design as the next area to consider. When Google starts offering screen previews, it might make all the difference in the world.
And, as computer users opt for bigger and multiple screens, maybe a screen preview will begin to become a better user interface for search. So, mobile search might continue to be list-based for the small screen but larger computer monitors offer real estate that search engines will take advantage of. But I haven't seen anything revolutionary yet.
Posted by MikeMoran at May 19, 2008 2:11 PM
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Comments
I'm familiar with searchme.com and find the visual approach to search quite compelling. As users of web sites, we have been "trained" over the last decade to visually recognize quality web pages. From just a quick glance at a page, I can often "disqualify" pages that I know will NOT contain the information I seek. That is the power that visual search provides to me.
Posted by: Wolf at May 19, 2008 5:25 PM
Thanks for the comment, Wolf. That makes sense to me, which is why, despite my visual disability, I continue to look at this stuff. I just wonder if there is a way to combine the visual with the list that text scanners like me want.
Posted by: Mike Moran at May 19, 2008 8:24 PM
I still prefer classic Google. With the power of tabs now searching for what you want could be quicker and more efficient =) Thanks for the recommend though.
Posted by: zohai at May 20, 2008 4:15 PM
I AM very visual and I don't want a very visual search engine either. I don't like clutter. Which is one of the main reasons I use Google and not Yahoo.
Posted by: Nate Nead at May 20, 2008 5:57 PM
Google still my first choice search engine. The main things in search engine is that it can find what you want, but if can give an added feature like visual things that you mentioned WHY NOT!
Posted by: designer cufflinks at May 21, 2008 2:25 AM
If they can get me good results AND I can scan quickly through the images, then they get my business...
Posted by: Robert Smith at May 21, 2008 4:13 PM
Lots of good comments here. My take is that it can't just be visual. I want to take the traditional good results and easy scannability and add visual capability. Perhaps Ask.com's binoculars isn't the be-all end-all, but it seems closer to me than these.
Posted by: Mike Moran at May 21, 2008 4:18 PM
Mike,
Thanks for having a look @ viewzi. We completely understand that "visual" may not be the end all be all for some folks. As a bit of clarification, viewzi is much more than simply a visual search engine. We have built a platform that will allow others to create their own search experience using their own UX and their own, or others' data sources. Think smashup (search mashup). We'll be spending more time explaining this as we get past the public launch on June 9.
With that being said, I'd be interested in others' comments after they have had a peek. They can get access by going to http://www.viewzi.com/invites and using "gio" as their referral code.
-giovanni
viewzi evangelist
Posted by: Giovanni Gallucci at May 23, 2008 6:33 PM
Giovanni,
I'm so glad you left your comment and even happier that you extended your offer for my readers to try Viewzi out for themselves. They can develop their own opinions instead of listening to me.
Posted by: Mike Moran at May 23, 2008 6:38 PM
I do find visual search engines convinient to me. But I prefer the old ways. It's easy to scan through it. I agree that google is everyones favorite.
Posted by: Southwest Rugs at May 25, 2008 2:50 PM
I think visual search engines cant compare with the classic results. Visual do took spaces and this may limit the results show, not to mention the time needed to upload the visual. I still prefer the classic search results.
Posted by: acne at May 28, 2008 7:10 AM
Visual search engines will give me something different from the old listing way. With some visual on results it might help me to choose which source looks better than the other one although i do know dont judge a book by its cover..
Posted by: home directory at May 30, 2008 8:38 AM
Visual search engines will provide additional options to the online users. It may helps users, however, depending how clever the information is provide it be successful or not.
Posted by: Jacky @ Promotional Items at May 31, 2008 5:50 PM
Visual search engines will give back a limited results. Its different will the old styles when you could get much results and it is easy to skim down the whole list.
Posted by: hair loss at June 1, 2008 1:38 AM
I do love google search result. Although it didn't have any visual features still it give me the best results i could get. Visual features is not important to me.
Posted by: irish gifts at June 1, 2008 2:21 PM
I dont like to use visual search engines. The old ways are the best. I think everyone here agree with me. Google are our favorite.
Posted by: Ecommerce solutions at June 4, 2008 5:03 AM
I always love to use visual search engines such as yahoo. I like to have a first view on the info i want.
Posted by: cover creator software at June 6, 2008 4:16 PM
This post is like a post for the differences of Google and Yahoo. I must say i pick Google. Although it dont have any visual, but it gives me a good search result.
Posted by: Baby Changing Bags at June 18, 2008 4:13 AM
I like Google Earth and use yahoo
Posted by: Detox Diet at June 25, 2008 6:53 AM
Have you tried silobreaker? I think it will appeal to you since its more of a link analysis search engine. Let me know how you like it!
Posted by: StrategicMinds at November 4, 2008 6:58 PM
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