metasearch engine
Definition
A search engine that displays results from multiple search engines.
Information
Spelling varies - metasearch or meta search.
Many, if not most, search destinations include results from a combination
of sources, but not all are metasearch engines. In non-metasearch engines,
there may be primary listings and secondary listings. The secondary listings serve as a backup to enhance the search coverage... or as a premium (paid) service to enhance
the search engine's revenue. These additional listings may or may not be clearly distinguished as being outside the primary results.
At a metasearch destination, the visitor is usually made aware of the fact
that there are many sources of search information. Typically, no one source dominates, but there are several
ways to display the results. Listings may be grouped by the source (i.e. Dogpile),
scrambled from all the sources (i.e. Mamma), or clustered and ranked (i.e. Ixquick).
Synonyms
all-in-one search engine
Related Terms
search engine
Sites
Ixquick Metasearch
Google Directory : Search Engines : Metasearch Tools
Yahoo : Search the Web : All-In-One Search Pages
Articles
The Meta Search Engines: A Web Searcher's Best Friends
Web Design In New York (September 9, 2002)
Meta-Search Engines?
ClickZ (January 2, 2002)
Meta Search Or Meta Ads?
Search Engine Watch (May 23, 2001)
Getting Found by Metasearch
ClickZ (October 4, 2000)
Movement in Metasearch
Search Engine Watch (May 3, 2000)
Meta-Search Engines: When to Use and Not Use Them?
www.lib.berkeley.edu : MetaSearch (April 2000)
|
