What is your best search engine

[redrob]

Which search engine would you use what brings you more business I am using 8 search engines

Windows Live (http://www.live.com/) 62.2%
Google (http://www.google.com/) 24.7%
Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com/) 2.8%
Google (Images) (http://images.google.com/) 2.1%
MSN Search (http://search.msn.com/) 1.8%
Ask (http://www.ask.com/) 0.7%
Alexa (http://www.alexa.com/) 0.2%
seznam (http://www.seznam.cz/) 0.2%

[Vizcom]

This years stats so far...
- Google (http://www.google.com/)29422945- Google (Images) (http://images.google.com/)16682726- Windows Live (http://www.live.com/)303303- Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com/)260262- MSN Search (http://search.msn.com/)111112- Unknown search engines2626- Ask (http://www.ask.com/)2222- Tiscali (http://search.tiscali.com/)1313- AOL (http://www.aol.com/)1314- Alexa (http://www.alexa.com/)22- MyWebSearch (http://search.mywebsearch.com/)22- Netscape (http://www.netscape.com/)11

[mycateringjobsdotcom]

Has to be Google every time

[Vizcom]

Google is still number 1 (and by some distance) but don't discount others.

YouTube is now the second most used website/search engine used in the UK to find suppliers/information. Which means if you are in business you can't ignore it as another way of promoting your business. I also fully expect Twitter to become the third most popular by early next year.

Click this link to see an example of a business promo video SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) - why bother? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXm9_e3NWEs) on YouTube.

[redrob]

(Vizcom) that is a very good video it even got me convinced it doesn't even use rubbish that most companies use to advertise.

[fisicx]

Need to seperate search engine from a normal datasbase search.

A search engine is a very specific application that goes looking for information. The search feature on a website such as youtube simply scans the user generated database for 'tags' or matching text.

Youtube and twitter et al are just marketing tools that may become popular in their niche but there are still an awful lot of people who will never use them (like my Mum and Dad). And if youtube gets filled with hairdressers and car salesmen all promoting their businesses then it will soon go belly up. Same with twitter, 99% of all twits go unnoticed and the more people who join will mean even less chance of getting noticed.

[Vizcom]

Don't want to get in to a slanging match about who is better at SEO than who but...

Social Media websites, forums and blogs already count for large amounts of website traffic and Facebook has more page impressions than Google. Yes you can argue is the traffic is relevant? But a lot of it will be. Word on the street is that people's opinions and views will affect search engine positions more and more. Links from blogs and forums already carry more favour and YouTube is already the second most used website in the UK for finding out information and businesses so it can't be ignored.

The view that YouTube and Twitter don't get used to source people or businesses is just out dated.

[fisicx]

Didn't say people don't use them, it's just that they aren't search engines.

People use twitter differently to a search engine. If I want info on how to treat hayfever I don't go to twitter. If I want a plumber I don't use youtube.

The OP asked about the best search engine. Facebook isn't a search engine.

[Vizcom]

That's just my point you don't but other people are.

[am:pm graphics]

Googles top but I much prefer Yahoo.

Pauline

[fisicx]

That's just my point you don't but other people are.

You mean people actually use twitter to find a builder? I'd be interesting in the stats on this as I've not seen anything to suggest this sort of usage.