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List of common World Wide Web search engines. Also refer to search tools, indexing, crawler, spider, webbot, robot, Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask Jeeves, meta, Dogpile, Metacraler, Mamma, research, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions

Search Engine Sites

by Ron Kurtus (revised 12 July 2005)

The most popular way of finding information on the World Wide Web is through the use of search sites. These are web sites that are dedicated to providing a data base of web sites and topics that can be found through the use of their search engines. Each search engine has its own rules on the best way to find the information for which you are looking. This list is by no means comprehensive. If you have some favorites and corrections, let me know about them. Some compile search from the major engines. These are called meta search sites.

Questions you may have include:

• What are the major search engines?
• What are good meta search sites?
• What are some minor players?

This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.

Major search sites

These are the top guys--the search engines used by most people. They use web crawlers to find the sites. (They are also called web robots, webbots or web spiders.)

Google: www.google.com - Rated as the top search engine

Yahoo: www.yahoo.com - Oldest search site

Ask Jeeves: www.ask.com - Tries to answer questions

MSN Search: www.search.msn.com - Part of the MSN portal

Meta search sites

These sites search the other search engines and compile a summary. Typically it is a compilation of the major engines.

Dogpile: www.dogpile.com

Metacrawler: www.metacrawler.com

Mamma: www.mamma.com

Vivisimo: www.vivisimo.com

SurfWax: www.surfwax.com

IXQuick: www.ixquick.com

Search.com www.search.com

Webcrawler: www.webcrawler.com

Secondary search sites

Among the minor search engines, several had one time been major players. A few are up-and-comers.

WiseNut: www.wisenut.com

LookSmart: www.looksmart.com

Netscape: search.netscape.com

Alta Vista: www.altavista.com

Lycos: www.lycos.com

Go.com: www.go.com

Summary

Use these search sites to find your information. If you have other suggested sites, let me know about them.

Answers to Readers' Questions

Use all the resources you can

Resources

The following resources provide information on this subject:

Websites

Search Engine Watch - Site for search engine marketing and optimization

Web Page Design Resources

Books

Top-rated books on Website Design

Miscellaneous

Mini-quiz to check your understanding

1. How do most search engines find sites to list?

2. Why would you use a meta search site?

3. Is there much reason to use a minor search engine?

If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in Web Design. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.

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Students and researchers

The Web address of this page is
www.school-for-champions.com/web/searchengines.htm.

Please include it as a reference in your report, document, or thesis.

Where can you go from here?

School for Champions

Web Design topics

Search Engine Sites