| Vertical search |
Search engines focused on specific niches (e.g., travel, news).
A vertical search engine, also known as a specialty search engine, focuses on a specific segment of online content instead of indexing the entire web. Think of it like diving deep into a particular ocean trench instead of skimming the vast surface.
Here's a breakdown of the key features:
What they do:
- Crawl and index content within a specific niche or industry, like travel, jobs, real estate, or academic literature.
- Offer targeted search results tailored to the specific content category.
- Provide advanced search filters relevant to the chosen niche, allowing for more precise searching.
- Often deliver additional features like price comparisons, user reviews, or job board filters.
Benefits:
- More relevant results: You're less likely to encounter irrelevant or off-topic pages compared to general search engines.
- Deeper dives: Access specialized information not readily available in broader searches.
- Greater efficiency: Save time and effort by focusing on content directly related to your needs.
Examples:
- Travel: Kayak, Skyscanner, Expedia
- Jobs: Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn Jobs
- Real estate: Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com
- Academic: Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, JSTOR
- News: Google News, Apple News, Flipboard
Comparison to horizontal search:
- Horizontal search engines: Like Google or Bing, they index the entire web and offer general search results across various topics.
- Vertical search engines: They offer focused results within a specific niche, providing more relevant and specialized information.
Choosing the right search:
- Use horizontal search engines for broad topics or when unsure about where to start.
- Use vertical search engines for specific tasks, niche information, or deeper dives within a particular domain.
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