Comments on: Sphere, Local & Problems with Blog Search http://www.searchenginejournal.com/sphere-local-problems-with-blog-search/3360/ Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:42:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Steve Mansfield http://www.searchenginejournal.com/sphere-local-problems-with-blog-search/3360/comment-page-1/#comment-101125 Steve Mansfield Wed, 03 May 2006 15:37:01 +0000 http://www.searchenginejournal.com/?p=3360#comment-101125 A great concept you outlined in this post, I thought, was "What we fundamentally need to see is integration of blog content with general search results so that consumers can obtain, in one results set, the entire range of relevant information...". I'm a big believer that we have to start integrating all types of relevant search results together for users, including blog posts, video, audio, graphics, etc. to give searchers all the relevant information available in one SERP. I'd also include User Shared Search Results in that mix (USSR's). Blog search will get better and better as the challenges that are being identified more clearly are addressed. A great concept you outlined in this post, I thought, was “What we fundamentally need to see is integration of blog content with general search results so that consumers can obtain, in one results set, the entire range of relevant information…”. I’m a big believer that we have to start integrating all types of relevant search results together for users, including blog posts, video, audio, graphics, etc. to give searchers all the relevant information available in one SERP. I’d also include User Shared Search Results in that mix (USSR’s). Blog search will get better and better as the challenges that are being identified more clearly are addressed.

]]> By: Loren Baker, Editor http://www.searchenginejournal.com/sphere-local-problems-with-blog-search/3360/comment-page-1/#comment-100644 Loren Baker, Editor Wed, 03 May 2006 03:15:26 +0000 http://www.searchenginejournal.com/?p=3360#comment-100644 Greg, Sphere has a bit to go before redefining the blog search market. In terms of local, I really enjoy what BlogDigger is doing with their Local Blog Search. For example, this result for a search for "Orioles" in the Baltimore area are pretty much on the mark and what I'm looking for in regards to local blog search - unedited journaling of local opinons, rumors, and experiences: http://local.blogdigger.com/search.jsp?q=orioles&near=baltimore However, the local index seems to be a bit limited and there are not very many "local niche blogs" being served for local results, only those who use the following tags for BlogDigger to pick up their blog as being local: "Blogdigger uses a number of methods to identify a site's location. The best way is to support the ICBM or geoPosition meta data specification which defines your site's latitude/longitude as an HTML metatag." Topix.net is another Local News service which is picking up a lot of local blogs. I also do not think they should be overlooked in this arena. For instance, if I do a search for the Chester, MD (small Maryland community outside of Annapolis/DC) area in Topix.net; my own local blog is shown before the other area news sources: http://www.topix.net/city/chester-md Don't be surprised if Topix and Yahoo develop very relevant and useful Local Blog search tools. There is a reason that Yahoo has not gone all out with its Blog Search and is burrying it in News Search. In many cases, General Blog Search is a high maintenance time crunching activity, more niche services will take the pain out of searching for blogs. Greg, Sphere has a bit to go before redefining the blog search market.

In terms of local, I really enjoy what BlogDigger is doing with their Local Blog Search.

For example, this result for a search for “Orioles” in the Baltimore area are pretty much on the mark and what I’m looking for in regards to local blog search – unedited journaling of local opinons, rumors, and experiences:

http://local.blogdigger.com/search.jsp?q=orioles&near=baltimore

However, the local index seems to be a bit limited and there are not very many “local niche blogs” being served for local results, only those who use the following tags for BlogDigger to pick up their blog as being local:

“Blogdigger uses a number of methods to identify a site’s location. The best way is to support the ICBM or geoPosition meta data specification which defines your site’s latitude/longitude as an HTML metatag.”

Topix.net is another Local News service which is picking up a lot of local blogs. I also do not think they should be overlooked in this arena.

For instance, if I do a search for the Chester, MD (small Maryland community outside of Annapolis/DC) area in Topix.net; my own local blog is shown before the other area news sources:
http://www.topix.net/city/chester-md

Don’t be surprised if Topix and Yahoo develop very relevant and useful Local Blog search tools. There is a reason that Yahoo has not gone all out with its Blog Search and is burrying it in News Search.

In many cases, General Blog Search is a high maintenance time crunching activity, more niche services will take the pain out of searching for blogs.

]]>