Alternative Search Engines Come Together

Although Search Engine Optimization is usually concerned with tackling the bigger search engines like Google, Yahoo! , and Ask.com, smaller search engines are coming together to reach a wider audience.  Research shows that when combined, alternate search engines only reach 1.7% of search engine users.  However, there is strength in solidarity when it comes to alternate search engines.

Part of the alternative search engines’ plan to have a larger presence on the Internet is to combine them onto a website such as Sputtr.com. This website allows users to search within different search engines through their site, an innovation that which gives what all users want in their search experience—efficiency.  It is not necessary to go to different sites, one at a time for results.  Users can type in “modems” and choose on which search engines they would like to search “modems”.

How do alternate search engines benefit from sites like Sputtr.com? While the top tier sites like Google and Yahoo! are still on the options of search engines to use, users also have customization features that allow for more flexibility and control over the sites that are used.  What becomes the problem, however, is name recognition.  How will alternative search engines build a strong enough rapport with users to where they would use them more than the bigger names?