The Web contains an estimated 800 million pages and there are hundreds of Web search tools available. One source, Search Engine Watch, lists the major search engines, in ten different categories, with new ones emerging regularly. (This number may have changed by the time you look at the page.) But none of these search tools captures ALL of the Web. One study shows that there is little overlap in pages retrieved on various search engines. An older report estimates that only 16% of Web content had been indexed by the largest search engine.
Some search engines are more popular than others. This pie chart shows which general search engines get used the most. To know why they do, it might be good to learn more about how they are different.
Where can you find reviews of search tools so that you can quickly locate the best ones? Here are some sites that provide that service:
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Search Engine Watch: Reviews, Ratings, Tests
Search Engines Showdown: The Users Guide to Web Searching |
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Go to this Search Engine Showdown page and click on the "inconsistencies" link (located on the left side of the page under analysis). Browse the search engine inconsistency reports. What are some common problems?
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