Smart Answers Lead to Smart Voting!

Even if your only outside link to the world was your mailbox, by this time you'd still be awash in (mostly biased) election information: candidates, propositions, polling places and more. And of course there are all the latest scandals that just happen to drop just before the big day. Don't you wish you had one reliable source where you could find all the Election Day info you needed? Ahem.

Try this on for size:

Just type in "election" into Ask.com. You'll get a Smart Answer that points you to practically everything you need to know about this year's elections.

And see that pull-down menu labeled "Voter Info by State"?

That's your Smart Answer gateway to all the local voter resources you'll need.

Looking to delve even deeper into the issues? Our Director of Online Information Resources, Gary Price, has rounded up some sites where you can do some serious research.

So if you want to make the best-informed decision possible--or just figure out how to get there before the polls close--turn to Ask.com. We'll point you to the facts. After that it's up to you.

And if you're reading this on November 7, what are you doing sitting at your computer? Go out there and vote!

Source: blog.ask.com

Google Beats Yahoo For Best Search Engine According To ChristiaNet Poll

ChristiaNet.com (http://www.christianet.com), the world’s largest Christian portal with twelve million monthly page loads, asked reader’s to participate in a survey to determine the most popular search engine. Respondents commented on what they thought was the best search engine out of the most popular three, Google, Yahoo, and MSN. The poll shows that many users are looking for one that is simple, fast, and has accurate information. One participate stated, "I have more success finding information with Google." (http://www.christianet.com/searchengines/)

Out of 266 participants polled, the majority of 125 felt that Google was the best search engine. Users felt that it was superior over Yahoo and MSN but several commented that they frequently used all 3. Participants emphasized that they don’t like to be bothered with pop-ups and having searches pull up sites that contain spam but instead appreciate accessing quality Internet sites. Another attribute that is important to users is that the site be visually appealing and not too busy.

Thirty-three respondents preferred using MSN over the others. Many of these participants commented that they use it because they are familiar with it, since it came installed on their computer. Some people have a specific reason they like one over the other. One reader wrote, "I love chatting with my friends." Instant messaging options are gaining in popularity and make it easy to communicate instantly with family and friends. Setting up a homepage provides access to daily stock quotes, news and entertainment information. There are many other popular features that provide users with options right at their fingertips.

Yahoo is also very popular with participants since 108 of the 266 polled think it is the best search engine. The capability of using email and setting up a homepage attracts many people to a particular program. Offering free email gets attention along with the capability of customizing a homepage by changing layout columns, and colors. For some users, old habits are hard to break. People often will go to the one program they know how to use over trying a new one, especially if it has performed well for them in the past. Several users couldn’t quite articulate why they use a specific engine, except to say, "I just like it." For more information, visit: http://www.christianet.com/articles/

Source : prleap.com

Google Custom Search Engines Open Worlds of Potential

The development of the Internet, and later search engines, has put a wider (and sometimes deeper) range of information at more users’ fingertips than ever before. What’s more, it has empowered users to find exactly what they’re looking for – the ultimate in “personal media,” if you will. But large general search engines have their faults. What if you could build a search engine that focused specifically on your own interests?

That’s exactly the service that Google unveiled with its Custom Search Engine. Now you don’t need to be a programmer to create a search engine; what’s more, the search engine you create will be vertical, based on the topics and web sites you choose. Do it right, and users of your custom search engine (including you, of course) will benefit from results that are far more relevant to their needs than what they can find at Google itself.

As we’ve often seen, Google isn’t the first company to enter this arena. Other companies that offer customized search include Rollyo, PSI, and Yahoo. But Google is throwing its brand, coolness factor, and – let’s face it – almost intuitive grasp of what should and should not be part of a user-friendly interface into this project. As an outgrowth of Google Co-op, this move throws Google right into the midst of the social search and web 2.0 world, a field in which the search engine giant had actually been lagging behind Yahoo.

Read Google Custom Search Engines Open Worlds of Potential

Barnett Takes 2nd Turn vs. Google

Jim Barnett knows the perils of competing with Google. He saw firsthand how the company's mastery of search vanquished early leaders like AltaVista (where he was CEO) and Excite.

Now, he's striving to take on Google in the online advertising realm, where the Big G boasts the Internet's largest ad network via AdSense, a system that puts links and banner ads on thousands of Web sites.

Despite AdSense's success, Barnett believes the system has plenty of flaws, and he's betting his new venture, Turn, will be able to take advantage of those weaknesses.

"It's exhilarating," Barnett said of the upcoming fight against Google. "They're very good competition."

San Mateo, Calif.-based Turn in recent months has attracted $18 million in venture backing from Norwest Venture Partners, Trident Capital and Shasta Ventures. Turn has about 1,000 advertisers in its system, which displays ads on approximately 30 sites.

Unlike Google, which charges advertisers on a per-click basis, Turn relies on a cost-per-action scheme. It charges advertisers only if users take desired actions, such as filling out registration forms or closing on sales. (A marketer such as Starwood, for example, could bid $20 for each hotel night booked, $3 for every e-mail sign-up and 75 cents for each site visit.)

Turn hopes to appeal to advertisers unhappy with poor conversion rates from their contextual campaigns and frustrated by the complexity of compiling keyword lists.

Turn has another key point of differentiation: It analyzes 60 factors to decide which ads to show users, weighing variables such as past behavior, publisher demographics, copy contents and brand quality. The system shows either text listings or display ads, choosing the option likely to yield the most revenue, Barnett said.

Source: adweek.com