Ask Jeeves is expanding its “Smart Search” tools today with direct responses to queries about weather information and numerical conversions.
The direct responses to weather queries include information about local conditions, surf reports, and for travelers, flight delays. There are also over one hundred different numerical conversions that work using natural language queries.
This lets you get direct answers to questions such as “weather in Houston,” or conversions such as “dashes in a tablespoon.”
Ask Jeeves introduced Smart Answers last April, and I was impressed with the quality of the results for many types of queries. The features combine the search engine’s natural-language processing technology with links selected by Ask Jeeves’ editorial team for popular or topical subjects. Some of the other Smart Answers features include:
- Direct responses to searches for Zip Codes
- Country Maps
- Holidays
- Capitals
- Foreign Language Translation
- Numerical Values
- Acronyms and Abbreviations
- Driving Directions
- Popular Subjects (e.g. Who won the best actor Oscar in 1982?)
“Smart Answers support users everyday requirements, from finding driving directions, checking the weather and accessing zip codes, to looking up country maps” said Jim Lanzone, Vice President, Product Management, Ask Jeeves.
Search Headlines
NOTE: Article links often change. In case of a bad link, use the publication’s search facility, which most have, and search for the headline.
Related reading
Four tools to build a smarter and more up-to-date in-house marketing team
The SEO community has been fighting with low-quality, outdated and simply incorrect content for ages. How to educate yourself as well as your team in this abyss of misinformation? Here are four tools that can help solve these problems.
The best SEO influencers and resources to follow
The SEO industry has spawned a vast array of influencers, dispensing invaluable insights that businesses can apply to their own strategies. With luminaries like Rand Fishkin, Danny Sullivan and Matt McGee announcing their departures from the scene in the near future, who should SEOs follow for advice and best practices? Here are some of the best experts and resources in the industry right now.
How to escape Google’s filter bubble
Over the years, Google has greatly increased the extent to which it tailors results to the user, with the aim of improving accuracy and relevance. While this can be helpful and convenient, many users find it disturbing - or unhelpful to their efforts in getting their site found by a wider audience. Here, we look at how, as a user, you can escape Google's filter bubble - and as an SEO, how you can penetrate it.
7 things to consider when choosing an ecommerce platform
With ecommerce growing rapidly year-on-year, it's essential for online retailers to have the right technology to underpin their strategy. But with so many platforms now available, how can you tell which one is right for your business?
