Who Powers Whom? Search Providers Chart: May 2003
Shows which major search providers power the web's major search engines, in chart format, for May 2003.
Shows which major search providers power the web's major search engines, in chart format, for May 2003.
Many major search engines get their results by turning to third-party “search providers” to “power” their listings. To make matters more confusing, these search providers may run their own search engine sites, as well.
The chart below explains who the major providers are. Knowing who powers whom is helpful for those who are wondering which companies are “winning” in the competitive market of powering search. Information is for users visiting the US/global version of the search engines listed, unless otherwise noted.
This information is also helpful to webmasters and search engine marketers trying to understand where to get listed. If this is your goal, also read the Search Engine Results Chart. That table is more oriented for those looking to get listed with different search engines. It shows all the major search engines and how they get their listings, with links leading to submission help from Search Engine Watch’s Essentials Of Search Engine Submission guide.
The key for the chart is shown first, then the chart itself comes further below, so there’s enough width to display it properly. To learn more about a particular search engine or search provider, just click on its name. You’ll be taken to the appropriate section of Search Engine Watch’s Major Search Engines page. To jump straight to the chart, click here.
Search Engine Watch members can see partnership charts |
Search Providers: These are listed at the top of each column. Read down to see what they power at major search engines. Click on their names to learn more about them. The most significant providers are listed first, in terms of the reach Search Engine Watch feels they have across the major search engines. Because the chart is long, the top portion with provider names is repeated for ease of viewing.
Search Engines: These are listed at the beginning of each row, in order of “search hour” popularity, as explained on the Nielsen//NetRatings page.
Main: Indicates that a search provider provides the “main” editorial results to a particular search engine, the most dominant listings that will be seen.
Paid: Indicates that a search provider provides paid listings to a particular search engine. Also see the Buying Your Way In page for detailed information about paid listing partnerships.
Backup: Indicates that a search provider provides the “backup” results that appear in cases where a search engine’s main results fail to find good matches. See the Search Engine Results Page for more about “backup” or “fallthrough” results.
Option: Indicates that information from this source is made available either on results pages or in other ways, though the prominence of the information may not be high.
Dates: Where shown, dates indicate when a particular partnership is due for renewal. For example, LookSmart has an agreement to provide directory listings to MSN Search through December 3, 2003. Dates are shown in MM/DD/YY or similar format.
Search Engine (Down) |
Provider: |
Provider: Overture (AV, ATW) |
Provider: Open Directory |
Provider: Inktomi (Yahoo) |
Provider: Look Smart |
Provider: Teoma (Ask) |
Main & Paid |
Option | |||||
AOL | Main & Paid (5/04+) |
Option | ||||
Yahoo | Main (10/04+) |
Paid (4/05) |
Not yet used | |||
MSN | Paid (12/04) |
Backup (12/05) |
Main (12/3/03) |
|||
Ask Jeeves |
Paid (9/05) |
Main | ||||
Search Engine (Down) |
Provider: |
Provider: Overture (AV, ATW) |
Provider: Open Directory |
Provider: Inktomi (Yahoo) |
Provider: Look Smart |
Provider: Teoma (Ask) |
Alta Vista |
Main (AV) & Paid |
Option (8/31/03) |
||||
Over ture |
Paid | Backup | ||||
Net scape (AOL-owned) |
Main & Paid (5/04+) |
Option | ||||
Look Smart |
Backup | Main & Paid |
||||
Lycos | Main (ATW – 12/31/03) & Paid (May 06) |
Option | ||||
Search Engine (Down) |
Provider: |
Provider: Overture (AV, ATW) |
Provider: Open Directory |
Provider: Inktomi (Yahoo) |
Provider: Look Smart |
Provider: Teoma (Ask) |
HotBot (Lycos-owned) |
Option | Paid (May 06) & Option (ATW – 12/31/03) |
Main | Option | ||
AllThe Web |
Main (ATW) & Paid | Option | ||||
Teoma | Paid (Sept 05) |
Main | ||||
Notes | Yahoo is an investor |
Overture bought AV & ATW in 4/03 |
AOL bought in 11/98 |
Yahoo bought Inktomi in 3/03 |
Ask bought Teoma in 9/01 |
LookSmart Inks Search Deal with Lycos
Boston.internet.com, July 9, 2003
http://boston.internet.com/news/article.php/2233041
LookSmart listings will begin appearing on Lycos later this year for “commercial terms,” in a new deal between the two companies. Lycos tells me that they will be showing 10 LookSmart results head of AllTheWeb listings for 50,000 terms that LookSmart has determined are commercial in nature. LookSmart is also guaranteeing that despite the commercial emphasis, Lycos should feel the results displayed will all be relevant to users.