The New Yahoo Search Assist Tool for Internet Users

If you have heard a buzz on the World Wide Web about Yahoo Search Engine, you may be waiting just a little longer to actually see this tool, the Yahoo Search Assist, in action. It is currently in beta mode as of July 2007 and those Yahoo! users who are lucky enough to be selected will get the chance to use it. But Yahoo’s Search Assist is a highly sophisticated search tool that internet users can use when searching for whatever they’re looking for. However, Search Assist is not the same thing as Yahoo’s Search Suggest, which they have already placed online for internet search queries.

Instead of relying on the letters that are search with in the term that users type into Yahoo’s search box like the Yahoo Search Suggest does, the Yahoo Search Assist is more sophisticated in the way it works. This tool actually suggests different keywords altogether that have nothing to do with the letters that you’ve typed into the search bar, but Search Assist suggests keywords that are related to what you’re looking for. For example, if you type in the search terms “Lego organizer,” then Search Assist may give you phrases and search terms that are related to organization tools for legos. For example, the words “toy box” or “organizer” may show up in the list of suggested phrases that Yahoo Search Assist uses.

The way this new Yahoo! search tool works is a big change for the search engine industry and will provide a great opportunity to many internet users. First, Search Assist actually comes up with these results if you pause in the middle of typing in your search term. If you have ever been unsure of the phrase that you need to type in to find a particular and specific website then Search Assist will be there to help you! In addition, these suggestions are located below the search box for the user to quickly be reminded or given inspiration for the search query that they really want.

So where does Yahoo! Search Assist come up with the suggested search terms? This tool actually pulls from the first 20 pages of search results so that users won’t have to search through all 20 pages by themselves. If you are thinking that this tool sounds vaguely familiar, though, you are correct! In 2002, AltaVista brought out their search tool called Prisma. However, this similar search bar helped only gathered a few search terms from the first 50 results. However, Yahoo! has acquired this technology from AltaVista to make users’ search experiences better, quicker, and more efficient. Instead of only searching through the first 50 search results, the Yahoo! Search Assist combs through the first 20 pages to find the most useful phrases for internet search queries. As most people know, hundreds of pages show up in the first 20 pages, which is why this tool is so unique, fast, and sophisticated.

But until this search engine technology piece goes live online, users will have to wait until they receive a beta invite to use the Yahoo! Search Assist. However, there’s no doubt that this tool is already popular with the people testing it out, but hopefully Yahoo won’t keep other users waiting, but instead decide to release it sometime soon.

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