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2 Legit. 2 Legit to Search.

posted by Search

As the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco introduced one speaker, nobody quite knew what to make of it. On stage before them was 90s rapper/dancer/spokesperson MC Hammer announcing a new search engine. Is this for real? Are we dreaming? This can’t possibly be actually happening, could it? I mean, this is MC Hammer.

Image Source: Tshirtbordello.com

But this is no joke. This is actually happening. MC Hammer is releasing a search engine to compete with Google and Bing. While Google and Bing use various on-page factors such as keyword use and page titles with a mix of off-page factors including inbound links and social shares, new search engine WireDoo is going to operate in a slightly different fashion than we’re used to.

Where WireDoo is going to make its mark is on what Hammer said is its focus on “deep search” and “relational topics.” What this means is WireDoo is trying to show additional, yet related information. In Hammer’s own words during his announcement, “If it's a car ... it's not just about the word 'car,' but it's about insurance, it's about the specs, it's about mileage, it's about style, it's about all these things.”

Ultimately, the people at WireDoo need to ask themselves the question: “When people search for a car, do they really want to be inundated with information about topics other than the car they are looking for?”

If I’m at the initial stage of buying a car, the insurance is not going to be my primary concern. The website I will ultimately find in my search and use to make my decision will be one that includes the additional information about “specs and mileage” already on it. I feel that, with the limited information that we know right now, I would find WireDoo to be off-topic and almost obnoxious.

Where search engines like Google and Bing excel is in their ability to deliver relevant information to the immediate needs of the consumer and not additional information. Someone looking for car insurance won’t search simply for “car.” Someone looking to buy a car won’t even search for “car.” What they will search for is something more related to what they need. This is how search has evolved the past ten years.

WireDoo appears to almost be asking people to embrace a backward step in how they search for what they want. Either that, or they plan to throw everything from “car parts” to “life insurance” at you when you do a search for “car insurance.”

While I’m not sold on the idea, it’s worth looking at from a broader business perspective. Google is the giant in the search industry with even big-name rivals like Bing fighting hard to take any business it can. The odds that MC Hammer can take down the giant are slim, but nothing is outside of possible.

About the author of this post::
Joshua Mathe leads thunder::tech’s Search team and has worked in the SEO and pay-per-click industry for more than five years. He is lifelong Clevelander with a love of all things #CLE.

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