Is Alltheweb a Viable Search Alternative?

• Jan. 21, 2003

Alltheweb.com has long been a search engine trying to find itself.  While it does offer good search results with a high relevancy, it has always struggled against engines such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN.

In an effort to improve their share of the search market, they have recently introduced some new features.

 

In addition to already providing an FTP and MP3 search, you can also perform a news search, search for videos, or images.  They even now index other file extensions such as Microsoft Word® Documents.

 

The new search services go a step further.  Two of the services are designed to help users easily find what they want, while the others are refinements to the actual search services.

 

The two new tools give the ability to perform a search using the browser address bar.  By typing the code “atw” (without quotes) followed by your search query, you are automatically redirected to a results page on Alltheweb.   They also support a variety of browsers (rather than the usual Internet Explorer and Netscape).

 

The next interesting feature gives you the option of installing a button on your "links" toolbar which opens a small search box.  Simply type in your query and submit it and you are redirected to a search results page.

 

The refinements to the search services include the user of operators, such as “+” and “( )” to refine your searches, as well as the ability to perform Boolean searches by using words such as “and” “or”, and “andnot”.  By using these types of Boolean searches you could perform a search like (with quotes) “Microsoft and Office andnot Bill Gates” to search for any Microsoft Office results but don’t want any references to Bill Gates.

 

Rob Sullivan