Inktomi vs. All The Web vs. Alta Vista?

If you were Yahoo...what would you use...

[kanetrain]

Let's keep it simple. Yahoo's moving away from Google results soon. They own Ink, ATW and AV... all have PFI, and all are decent engines for different reasons. If you were making the decision for Yahoo... and you were trying to return the most relevant results, what engine would you use for Yahoo search? Rank them in order...

Here's my picks:

1. AltaVista
2. Alltheweb
3. Inktomi

[CygnusX1]

I like this order:

1. Inktomi
2. Alltheweb
3. AltaVista

I do good on all of them, but I have a little better results in this order.

[woop01]

If I'm looking for spam, I go to Ink. If I'm looking for results I go to ATW.

[Kelowna]

Does anyone have any links to information or news about Yahoo's change from Google to whatever? I have been reading here at webmasterworld for some time now and see it mentioned quite a bit but are there any releases made by Yahoo themselves about this change or when it might happen? Any other good sources for info on this topic?

Thanks...

[yowza]

I'd give it this blend.

Ink 40%
ATW 40%
AV 20%

[worker]

If they want to go head to head with the market leader, they need to wait until they have a solution that is pretty close, or the press will be hugely negative.

Yahoo is about building and maintaining momentum as one of the Internet anchors. If they move to a sub-par search solution after marketing Yahoo Search so hard, it would be a really stupid move.

Can you imagine what the New York Times would write the first time Yahoo switched over completely and the Ink spam was all over the place?

My guess is that they will continue to use the existing approach until some new algorythms are incorporated into their solutions.

If not, everyone with good positioning in Google is going to be sooooooo happy, because there will be a tidal wave of searchers leaving Yahoo and looking for good results.

[jpalmer]

Gidday folks,

AV. It would be nice to see it back again, and yahoo traffic would sure boost it's profile.

BTW, have had AV back in my top 10 referrers (1-3% of traffic) since mid '03.

Already using AV again for some searches as the G has slipped.

Hooroo
JP

[sidyadav]

I'd go with:
1) AllTheWeb - The DB size is almost as same as Google
2) Inktomi - Has different things in its algorithm, like Web Map, Best of the Web, GigaDoc and Paid inclusion.
3) AltaVista - The DB size is only 600 million when its been spidering since 1995!

I see no reason at all for AltaVista to beat Inktomi, The DB size of Inktomi is greater, its algorithm is divided into complicated bits and so much else.

Although, all these engines one thing in common, they offer PFI.

Sid

[steveb]

AV
AlltheWeb
Ink

AltaVista's bot is far superior to the others.

[spaidermen]

Why not a meta using all three db?
Ranking should be higher for pages present in all three databases.

By the way, why Yahoo! hasn't bought Teoma yet?

[Alternative Future]

1. AltaVista - Alltheweb even par
2. Inktomi

Dump Inktomi just been causing a headache for the past year...

-gs

[sem4u]

I would go for this:

1. Altavista - results look good at the moment.
2. Alltheweb - larger index than AV but not quite as good IMO.
3. Inktomi - pure search is a mess.

Also, don't discount those directory listings and Overture results. Yahoo! may throw any or all of their indexes into the mix yet.

[spaidermen]

By the way, why Yahoo! hasn't bought Teoma yet?
why? does it have to?

Yes, if Yahoo! wants a good search engine.
Do you know other good and reliable alternatives to Google?
Inktomi, Fast and Altavista they are not.

Teoma is powered by AskJeeves

Indeed it's the other way round! AskJeeves is powered by Teoma

[Tor]

50% Alltheweb
30% Alta Vista
20% Inktomi

[sidyadav]

Indeed it's the other way round! AskJeeves is powered by Teoma

[sp.teoma.com...]
read the footer.

© 2004 Ask Jeeves, Inc.
Teoma is a service mark of Ask Jeeves, Inc. All rights reserved.
Terms of Service

I guess the db is AJ's and the algorithm is Teoma's or somethin, but AskJeeves I think has a higher priority in the partnership.

Although, Teoma is not that good on the SE world, its hardly discussed much here - the others AV, ATW and Ink, are discussed very regurarly , maybe thats because the acquisation.

AV, ATW, and Ink are the main alternatives to Google.

I hardly use LookSmart and AskJeeves once a month, that too, to check my listing.

Sid

[spaidermen]

Powered by Teoma means that AJ's serps are provided by Teoma, i.e. AJ uses Teoma database, crawler and algo.

Teoma not being discussed much here does not mean it is not a good search engine.

[sidyadav]

What I was meaning to say is AskJeeves is the owner of Teoma, it got acquired in 2001 by AJ: [searchengineyearbook.com...]
so now, the results are indeed AskJeeves's as it now owns Teoma.

Teoma not being discussed much here does not mean it is not a good search engine.

I did not say its not a good search engine..except most people optimize for Inktomi, Google, ATW and AV. I haven't seen any person optimizing for AJ though. And also, most people consider AJ/Teoma's bot as a "Hammerer".

Sid

[spaidermen]

Alright, so Yahoo! could buy AJ straight away.

Few optimize for AJ/Teoma because it brings few visits anyway. But if Yahoo! will be powered by Teoma, than most seos should beging to optimize for it.

[powerstar]

If AltaVista is so great how come nobody using it? (almost nobody)

[sidyadav]

If AltaVista is so great how come nobody using it? (almost nobody)

who said (almost) no-body uses it?
where did you get that information? I specially use the Image Search about 100 times a day, impresses me everytime I use it!
I always a quick check on how AVs doing, have a look at the database size - if it got any bigger. I tell you, if AltaVista had an index of about atleast a billion documents, it would beat both ATW and Ink. But then again, size doesn't count much for me, because AV produces "23" million for a query and ATW produces "75", but still I like the AV results a little tiny-inci-wincy bit better. ATW results are very close to AV though. Although, look who we're fighting against? they all belong to the same company now!

I'd like to change my optinion:
1) ATW
1.2) AV
3) Inktomi

Sid

[mayor]

1. ATW
2. AltaVista

[powerstar]

>>>who said (almost) no-body uses it?

My log.

I XML feed AltaVista and I get nothing. $6.75 a month worth of traffic with no conversion on a good month.

[sidyadav]

FYI, AltaVista received more than 45 million queries a day. [aggrandise.com] - 3 times that of AllTheWeb/Fast.

And I guess the information is pretty old...

Google 1.6 billion

Fast 0.7 billion

Alta Vista 0.5 billion

Inktomi 0.5 billion

Northern Light 0.4 billion

Google's now the double size, so I'm guessing AV receives more than 45 million queries now..which is pretty impressive I guess.

Sid

[spaidermen]

According to Media Metrix data, Altavista accounts for only 1% of US search traffic.
Google and google-powered ses accounts for 75%

[2_much]

I've always thought it would be a mix, giving Ink priority, then AlltheWeb, finally Altavista.

It'll be a glorified meta engine, but it can't be called meta engine because they own the technology.

I don't think it'll be straight Ink as everybody's saying because their database isn't good enough, but a combination of all 3 would serve pretty strong results and would be unique.

[worker]

Meta engines are so easy to manipulate though. Can a search engine really grab and hold onto searchers with a system that encourages meta-manipulation?

Especially when everyone knows about Google, and they are only a click away?

[kanetrain]

I actually wonder if Yahoo will launch an engine that serves results from all three depending on the term you search for. They would target a whole load of keywords as "commercial" and go INk with those, and then all informational searches would be powered by ATW (becasue of the sheer size of the index).
If they launch, pure Ink results, Yahoo Search is digging it's own grave.

[spaidermen]

it can't be called meta engine because they own the technology

That's a subtle distinction, isn't it?

Meta engines are so easy to manipulate though

What do you mean exactly?

[sidyadav]

Meta engines are so easy to manipulate though

What do you mean exactly?

I'm guessing what worker means is, for example, if you get a listing in Google, and the META engine queries Google, you're bound to be in, and if you're listed in any of the engines the META supports/queries (which almost all of you are), you're guaranteed a place in the index, easily.

Most META's, have something like this in their algorithm:
They first query a number of engines, and then, check in how many engines the site is listed in, the more the number is, the more '#'s you go UP, so in that case, if you're optimized well, and if you're listed in many of the search engines, you're guaranteed a top listing in the SERPs.

Which in other words means a 'easily manipulating algo'.

Sid

[edited by: sidyadav at 11:04 am (utc) on Jan. 13, 2004]

[percentages]

1. Ink
2. ATW
3. AV

Pure Ink will see Yahoo prosper much more than showing Google results.

Ink has its problems, most of which seem to be PFI partner related (not something a typical user will notice). ATW has a problem cleaning up backlinks, AV has problems with its algo.

Ink is the best choice by far. Go Y! Go....implement the Ink puppy fullstream and watch that search traffic grow.