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Can Yahoo close the Google search gap?

By // July 25, 2007, 6:31 AM PST

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  • Plain search? Me too.

    Yahoo's search delivers a solid experience, but not enough to gain share back from Google.

    The opening Yahoo search screen looks vaguely familiar. It's Google-ish, which may make it easier for folks trying to live without Google. The problem with that approach is that Yahoo has to do a little more than me-too when it comes to gaining search market share.

  • Popularity contest

    The image search suggested tips--which seem to play off what folks find popular on Yahoo--are a nice touch. Overall though the image search is on par with other sites.

  • Suggested images

    A look at the suggested image search du jour.

  • Video search handy

    The bright spot of Yahoo is the video search, which is pretty handy for browsing.

  • Local mishap

    But where the Yahoo experience was less than stellar were local searches. I had gotten into the habit of using Google as a phone book. This screen brought back nothing for me.

  • What I was looking for: Elsewhere

    That same search on Google got me what I was looking for--a number.

  • Close but off the mark

    Now if I click on that same search--"jiffy lube hamilton new jersey"--in Yahoo's local search I get closer to the mark. But not close enough. The other item: Yahoo Local doesn't seem integrated as well with Yahoo Search. Yahoo appears to be putting me in a different bucket of content. I'd rather just get the info.

  • Integration counts

    This disjointed feeling continues as I hope around to other sections. Yahoo Answers is a different site to me. Answers results didn't turn up in any searches. Ditto for Yahoo Shopping. From a user interface perspective these properties should be integrated better via search. Bottom line: You could do worse than Yahoo search, but there's nothing to indicate that it can regain market share from Google.

Plain search? Me too.

Yahoo's search delivers a solid experience, but not enough to gain share back from Google.

The opening Yahoo search screen looks vaguely familiar. It's Google-ish, which may make it easier for folks trying to live without Google. The problem with that approach is that Yahoo has to do a little more than me-too when it comes to gaining search market share.

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By Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of TechRepublic.