Yahoo made big news in search yesterday by announcing the launch of Yahoo Search Direct. It is like Google Instant but within the search suggestions box.
Now saying Yahoo is copying Google here is not fair. Why? Because Yahoo had Yahoo Instant Search back in 2005, about five years prior to Google launching Google Instant.
That being said, Search Engine Land has a nice number of articles on it that sum up what it does. Before I do that, here is a brief feature list:
- Trending Searches - The moment the cursor hits the search box, top search trends appear and are updated every 10 minutes to display the latest and greatest search trends.
- Search Previews - Search Direct predicts the search term as you type, providing the 10 most likely searches. You can then easily scan each option to see the related top results and find the best match for your needs.
- Direct Answers - For many common searches, Search Direct provides instant answers before you click the Search button. Find an address or phone number, a three-day weather forecast, financial stock performance, the top trending stories at Yahoo! News, or when and where a movie is playing - all without going to a results page.
- Direct Results - When you scan the search options and find the site you need, Search Direct provides exactly that - direct access to the site. No more overwhelming pages of links.
- Rich Content - For all top searches about sports, top news stories, and finance, Search Direct displays rich content that only the world's largest digital media company can provide. For example, type "n" to get the Yahoo! News display, which always shows the top two trending stories.
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Yahoo Search Direct Takes On Google Instant By Providing Answers In The Search Box
- Head-To-Head: Yahoo Search Direct Vs. Google Instant
- Yahoo Reveals Secrets Of “Search Direct” Algorithm
Forum discussion at Google Blogoscoped Forums.
