So I was thinking some more about the implementation of autocomplete on a website. I searched but couldn't find anything yet but does anyone know if you can use Google (Google Suggest) rather than querying my own database for suggestions? (the database is full of only keywords anyways, not like actual site-specific terms...)
you can do that in this form http://google.com/complete/search?output=toolbar&q=linux returns a xml file which you can use.
My company has developed a Search Assist tool that displays search suggestions, RSS feeds and contextual advertisements on websites and mobile devices as a visitor is typing a search query (a similar feature has recently been added on Yahoo’s homepage). PredictAd’s ability to learn a site’s content and community search patterns allow us to display the appropriate content to the user in real-time. Please view PredictAd’s customized demo on Seth Godin's blog at: http://tinyurl.com/yq9e5m . This is a generic demo but will give you a basic idea of the functionality. Start typing in the search box to see PredictAd in action - click on the RSS tab to see keyword-related RSS feeds. Thanks, I’ll be happy to provide additional information at your request. I look forward to your feedback.