My prediction for Yahoo and MSN

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by clasione, May 27, 2005.

0
  1. #1
    clasione, May 27, 2005 IP
  2. Michael

    Michael Raider

    Messages:
    677
    Likes Received:
    92
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    150
    #2

    I disagree with practically every point of fact in the article (sorry clasione!)

    Here are the main points I disagree with.

    Google have not "patented a new ranking system called TrustRank" they have only registered a trademark for TrustRank. They may well try to patent a TrustRank process in the future but have yet to do so.

    You say "what's left for MSN and Yahoo to patent and perfect? Where is their sophisticated technology to patent, trademark, tweek and call theirs?".

    In fact Yahoo and MSN file more search patents than Google. Look at the recent Yahoo patents Systems and methods for search processing using superunits or Systems and methods for search query processing using trend analysis and Microsoft's System and method for performing a search and a browse on a query. There must be an an almost infinite number of patentable search concepts in the area of semantic search alone.

    The implication of your question "What can these other two major search engines possibly do when every time a new way to rank pages is found, it's patented and they cannot use it?" is untrue. Not every way to rank pages has been found or even patented. In fact we are at a very early stage in the evolution of search engine technology and in the future the present algorithms will look very primitive indeed. The search companies may not even bother to patent most of their concepts and leave it as a commercial decision based on the fact that "to patent" makes public what you may be doing.

    I would also suggest that as far as search results from Google, Yahoo and MSN are concerned we are reaching a point where the vast majority of users are in practise unable to discriminate between them on a relevance basis. As the relevance differences converge the battle ground in search is shifting from the laboratory to marketing.

    - Michael

     
    Michael, May 28, 2005 IP
    compar and Design Agent like this.