Webmasters and The Future Of Search Technology: Using Alternative Search Engines

The major search engines that are discussed today are Google, Yahoo and MSN. However, there is more to search engine technology than the most popular search engines than many webmasters realize. Today there is a new breed of search engines making their presence known. There are many experts that are beginning to look seriously at open source search engines as the future of search technology.

The open source search technology movement has been growing for several years. In 2006, several search engines begin using the open source code with modest success. Currently there are only a few search engines which are using the “Nutch” algorithm such as MozDex which is rapidly gaining popularity and working through a variety of technical problems.

While the end tag of open source search technology does not pose a current threat to the order of things, it is a signal that change is coming. As the Internet and the World Wide Web have become a more important and influential part of our lives, it is evolving to meet our needs.

It is important for webmasters to stay abreast of search technology developments because they are integral to the operation of your online business. The web sites are dependent upon search technology to assist individuals to find their site. If no system exists to categorize them and present the information to the users it would be impossible for web sites to be profitable.

The open source search engines were developed in response to the consolidation of the search engine market. Five years ago search technology and the search engine market looked entirely different than it does today. There are many individuals who are concerned with the fact that only a few search engines control the largest part of the search technology and its process.

To many, it appears as though a monopoly is in the making and fear that eventually search technology would be used only for commercial gain. Searching for information on the Internet is being done more frequently and by more people however the number of search engines that are providing the information for them to use is decreasing.

On the other hand, the results provided by open source search engine are free from commercial motivation. Since there is no profit involved in the results, without bias and is more reliable. This is certainly not the case with search engines that are based on a pay-per-click advertising model. However Idealistic as it may sound, free search engines provide a valuable counterbalance to the search engine market and gives webmasters another metric to use in evaluating the effectiveness of their website.

What does the emergence of open source search engines mean for the webmaster today?

Internet technology and the search engines are providing webmasters all over the world outstanding opportunities to communicate ideas and share products and services for community or commercial gain. Rather than choose one or the other options in search engine technology it would be wise for webmasters to find the common ground in the pursuit of customer satisfaction. There is no doubt that open source search engines will provide an alternative means of evaluating your web sites effectiveness. When this information is added to statistics from search engines such as Google or Yahoo, it can create a more comprehensive picture than media would alone.

For webmasters who are focused on providing quality information, products or services for the people who need them monitoring the development of open source search engines and participating in the beta testing of them can prove to be a worthwhile introduction to a completely different perspective on the Internet. Using an open source search engine exposes your website to an audience which can provide greater insight into your potential buyer’s preferences. The future of search technology is influenced by the users of the Internet on both sides of the search engines.

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