Why Are Search Engines So Popular? - The Extras
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The Internet isn’t just a place for casual surfing or random reading, though it does seem to offer plenty of that. The online world is also about commerce, buying and selling, entertainment, interaction, and so many other things, all designed to help users kill a little time or improve their world. The best search engines -- the most popular search engines -- offer all of the above. Remember, search engines don’t just stop at search alone. Why should they, when they can provide so much else that keeps the traffic coming back for more?
According to many reports, the four most popular search engines on the Internet are Google, Yahoo, Live Search and Ask (not necessarily in that order). All of these engines obviously provide text-based search which helps traffic quickly and easily find the specific sort of content they desire. All you have to do is enter the keywords, hit a button and bam! you’re cruising the ‘net. All of these search engines also offer extras, however. It’s the extras that really make the search engines stick out for Internet users.
Ask.com (pictured), for instance, allow their users to pick different skins so they can customize their search experience and view the backgrounds they want. This search engine also lets users sign up to participate in a Sponsored Listings program. Webmasters can sell some of their page space to Ask and receive revenue when their users click on the sponsored links placed there by the search engines. They click, Webmasters earn. Not a bad bonus for a search engine, right?
The other major search engines (Google, Yahoo, Live Search) all provide free email addresses as well as user-friendly search. This means users can access a single site to get their online correspondence and start their online day through the search bar. This sort of all-in-one approach is what drives many people to specific search engines. It’s compelling for many users to take care of more than one task with only a single site. They can get their online day started with email, then use the on-site search to jump quickly to their next online endeavor.
Live Search provides another very compelling bonus for users: cash-based rewards. Through certain sponsor deals, Live Search provides discounts and cash back rewards to users who shop through Live Search with certain online sellers. This is a pretty strong incentive for traffic to stick around on Live Search a while, a strong draw for them to see what else this powerful search engine has to offer to its traffic.
Yahoo is one of the most complete search engines out there. From a single site, users can chat with others through topic-specific chat rooms, read their horoscope, browse the day’s headlines, play games, access email, watch video and do all sorts of other online activities that keep them hopping around Yahoo’s many pages and features. This full-service site isn’t just a search engine, but practically an entire world on online diversion, interaction and even education.
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