What they
are and where they are
Using a meta-search
engine, you enter keywords in a search box, and it submits your search
simultaneously to most of the popular search engines and their databases
of web pages. Within a few seconds, you get back a compilation of
results containing matching sites from all of the search engines queried.
This can save you a lot of time and provide an overview of the kinds of documents "out
there" matching any term, phrase-in-quotes, or set of terms and
phrases. It may result in locating exactly what you want, especially
if you are searching a unique term or phrase.
Meta-search
engines do not own their own database of web-pages; they use and deliver
the databases and searching programs of each of the popular, individual
search tools they query. Meta-search engines act as intelligent info brokers
who pass your search through, gather the responses from the individual
search tools they query, and then give you a more unified report of results
from many different resources.
Metacrawlers Or Meta Search Engines
Top Choices
Ixquick
Meta search engine that ranks results based on the number of "top 10" rankings
a site receives from the various search engines.
Vivisimo
Enter a search term, and Vivismo will not only pull back matching responses
from major search engines but also automatically organize the pages into categories.
Slick and easy to use.
qbSearch
Want to get multiple pages of results from a search engine combined into one
single page? QB-Search will quickly join up to 200 pages of listings from major
search engines.
Infonetware RealTerm
Search
This site is primarily designed to demonstrate classification technology from
Infogistics. It's a meta search engine, and it does topical classification
of results, like Vivisimo. However, it is unique in that you can select several
different topics, then "drill down" to see results from all of them,
rather than being restricted to the results from only one topic.
SurfWax
Searches against major engines or provides those who open free accounts the
ability to chose from a list of hundreds. Using the "SiteSnaps" feature,
you can preview any page in the results and see where your terms appear in
the
document. Allows results or documents to be saved for future use.
InfoGrid
In a compact format, InfoGrid provides direct links to major search sites and
topical web sites in different categories. Meta search and news searching is
also offered.
ProFusion
Brings back listings from several major search engines as well as "Invisible
Web" resources. Formerly based at the University of Kansas, the site was
purchased by search company Intelliseek in April 2000.
Query Server
Search against major web-wide search engines, as well as major news, health,
money and government search services.
Kartoo
If you like the idea of seeing your web results visually, this meta search
site shows the results with sites being interconnected by keywords.
-
Popular
Choices
Dogpile
Popular metasearch site that sends a search to a customizable list of search
engines, directories and specialty search sites, then displays results
from each search engine individually. Owned by InfoSpace, which also
owns MetaCrawler.
Mamma
Sends search requests to major search services.
MetaCrawler
One of the oldest meta search services, MetaCrawler began in July 1995
at the University of Washington. MetaCrawler was purchased by InfoSpace,
an online
content provider, in Feb. 97.
Search.com
Search.com is a meta search engine operated by CNET. It offers both
web-wide search and a wide variety of specialty search options. Search.com
uses technology
from SavvySearch, which was acquired by CNET in October 1999. The SavvySearch
site itself no longer operates. SavvySearch was one of the older metasearch
services, around since May 1995 and formerly based at Colorado State University.
