Search Marketing Blog
Build Your Own Search Engine (It’s the BOSS!)
Posted by Sean McMahon on 07.14.2008Yahoo! announced that it is “opening up the core pieces of it’s algorithmic search infrastructure to third parties” in a DMNews article titled “Yahoo opens up its search algorithm” on Friday last week. The second largest search engine on the planet is calling this new open Web services platform “BOSS”, as in “Build your Own Search Service”.
(I guess “BYOSS” just doesn’t sound as cool!)
This is actually a fairly significant development for one of the top three engines to provide access to its search technology infrastructure, even if it’s just core pieces of their algorithm. Now, any company has the ability to tap into Yahoo!’s API to create indexing and search tools.
According to this DMNews article, the new Yahoo! platform allows companies to manipulate and control the presentation and ranking of search results. In addition, the API provides an unlimited number of search queries per day.
As could be expected, Yahoo! has outwardly stated that the reason behind this unprecedented access to their algorithm is to improve its search results through more quality leads delivered through applications layered on top of their infrastructure. However, it also appears to be an attempt to expand its Sponsored Search networks (as Google has so successfully accomplished) in order to monetize more listings across its network.
It’ll be interesting to see if this eye-opening development has the desired effect Yahoo! is hoping for . . . let me know your opinion.
