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View Full Version : BBC search no longer using Google?

kara_b
24-03-2003, 10:39/10:39AM
The results today are definitely not Google, as I've found pages that are not in the Google index, but the question remains, what results are they?

It seems like it could be the Inktomi index, but the serps are very different.

Anyone have any further information??
Advisor
24-03-2003, 10:55/10:55AM
Hmm...you're right! Sure doesn't look like Google. Can't tell what it is, and they don't seem to say anywhere.

They don't seem to be paid links either.

Jill
kara_b
24-03-2003, 12:27/12:27PM
They have also taken away the option to search only on UK results.
symivisitor
24-03-2003, 13:49/01:49PM
Looks like Ink to me..
symivisitor
24-03-2003, 13:50/01:50PM
That was a completely inadvertent bit of wordplay, by the way!
Advisor
24-03-2003, 13:53/01:53PM
Originally posted by symivisitor
That was a completely inadvertent bit of wordplay, by the way!

:green:

Took me a minute to get it.

I love it!!! :D
Advisor
24-03-2003, 13:54/01:54PM
Nope, not Ink. At least not the same Ink I get through HotBot. Not even close for the phrase search engine optimization.

Jill
symivisitor
24-03-2003, 14:45/02:45PM
Try a search at msn.co.uk-the web page results are the same as the current BBC and Msn uses Ink.
MsSearch
24-03-2003, 16:24/04:24PM
Why do some results display descriptions and some don't?
MakeMeTop
25-03-2003, 02:47/02:47AM
Definitely UK biased INK results. PFI from 48 hours ago included. I think you will find Yahoo descriptions appearing for sites also in the Yahoo directory in the future (IMO). They seem to still be working on how the results are displayed.
kara_b
25-03-2003, 05:10/05:10AM
Quite a nice little change for the Inktomi index, me thinks, as it's usually been the other way until now, sites changing from Inktomi results to Google results.
sytemaker
25-03-2003, 08:24/08:24AM
I emailed BBCi and was promptly awarded with the following reply:

Thank you for your email

We have changed the technology powering the search results, and this has given us the ability to boost UK sites within the results set at all times.

Our user testing demonstrated that most users wanted UK results, but few used or even noticed that the option was available to them.

We believe that by providing a UK focussed result set on the first
search, we are providing a better service, and that this removes the need to limit the results in this way.

However we are very interested in your feedback, and if you found the results unsatisfactory we would be very grateful if you could let us know what you were searching for, so that we can have a look at the results ourselves to see if we are getting the balance correct.

Thank you for your help in improving BBCi Search

Best wishes,
BBCi Search Team

--------------------------------------------------------------------

sytemaker
sytemaker.com , web development (http://www.sytemaker.com/)
MakeMeTop
25-03-2003, 08:34/08:34AM
I just sent them a message to congratulate them on these excellent results. BBCi referrals are nicely up thank-you :)
Rankenstein
25-03-2003, 08:36/08:36AM
Which doesn't sit well with the following quote that I pulled from their pages:
"Our search service isn't here to make any money, so our results are the ones that best match your search words - not the ones advertisers want you to see. " (From http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/about.shtml) (My italics)

Oh really? I beg to quibble.

@makemetop - mine are down, bah humbug.