Visualize this: a better search

Mon., March 24, 2008

The Spokesman-Review

Visual search has continued trying to build momentum. It’s kind of been the Ron Paul of the search engine options; it’s got very loyal supporters, but no one is betting on it overtaking the leaders of the pack – Google and Yahoo Search.

We recently tried out a beta company, SearchMe, that’s definitely working on its appeal and algorithms. Go to searchme.com and sign up and watch the demo video.

When you open a set of search results, the source pages imitate the iTunes-style coverflow view, showing each page in smaller form and with all results scrollable left to right or right to left.

Traditional text results will be found, on SearchMe, at the bottom of the page.

Clicking any one cover sheet opens the source page for that result.

What’s compelling is that SearchMe pops up results very quickly, and in a short while you see the visual pages behind what is usually a dry list of 10 blue links.

This is certainly not the only site testing the visual-search waters. It’s worth watching.

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Visualize this: a better search

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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