In a July 14th article, BusinessWeek asked why searching blogs is so far behind the curve:
Here's a quote from "Finding a Blog in a Haystack":
FORMIDABLE OBSTACLES. While Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft's MSN decline to detail their plans, industry observers say it's likely a question of months before the big three dive into blog search -- and perhaps scoop up one or two of the venture-backed blog search engines. On July 8 a prototype Yahoo blog search page was briefly spotted before the company pulled it back. "If [the three giants] are not in blog search by the end of the year, I'd be very surprised," says Forrester Research analyst Charlene Li.
It stands to reason. Blogs are the fastest-growing segment of the Web, and the posts -- many of them dispatched directly to subscribers -- are perfect for the kind of targeted advertisements favored by search engines. Strategically, whichever company masters blogs gains an edge: It can serve up its archived treasures with timely updates from the blogs.
If blog search is so vital, why are the giants moving so deliberately? In part, say observers, because blending blogs into Web search is a knotty conundrum. It requires adding a new dimension -- time -- to traditional search. Currently, the search hierarchies used by Google and its rivals define the leaders and laggards in a vast library that changes little day by day. Sites rise in rank as they receive more visits and as other sites link to them.
Read the whole article. Lots of good stuff there.
Clearly this is an area in which there's a demand for fast action. As the article points out, businesses and consumers alike are looking for an efficient way to glean useful data from blogs. We already know that Yahoo's got an RSS search in the works. (Thanks to Steve Rubel for what's probably the most linked-to blog post of the summer.)
It'll be fun to see who's got the biggest, best, and first big fix. Should I start a pool?
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