Yahoo today launched Search Assist in the UK, a handy piece of technology which helps users complete their search queries by understanding the intentions behind web users’ searches.
The company cites recent research conducted for the search engine by Harris Interactive, which shows that, while 99% of web users use search engines to find information online, just 15% find what they are looking for on their first search, and most need three to four searches before they find what they want.
Another recent report for Autobytel echoes this study, finding that 7 out of 10 Americans experienced ‘search engine fatigue’ when they couldn’t find what they wanted.
This is where Search Assist could help – it goes further then the search suggestions given by Google, give users suggestions for their queries, as well as displaying related topics and concepts to gibe further assistance to searchers.
For example, a search for ‘Paul McCartney’ will produce suggestions for the singer’s website, as well as related concepts – ‘Beatles’, ‘Wings’, ‘Heather Mills’, and so on.
According to Yahoo’s European Search VP Jeff Revoy:
“The new Yahoo! Search is focused on providing consumers with the most relevant information as well as providing the best user experience possible. We know that consumers want a complete answer, not just links, and the enhancements we are making are focused on getting people to the best answer in one search whether that’s a Web link, photo, video or music clip.”
In addition to the Search Assist feature, Yahoo has also begun integrating video, audio, and other media into its search results, something which has been introduced by Ask.com and Google this year. With Yahoo search, video clips are embedded into the search page, so that users can view video content without leaving the search engine.
