A couple of weeks ago Sreekanth Sreedharan from url.com sent me a note with a beta invite to their new search engine with a twist; it aggregates results from MSN, Google, and Yahoo! and provides the rankings for each result, as well as user ratings on its usefulness. Users can also comment on results to provide further depth and human feedback to increase relevance. It humanizes and democratizes search, while continuing to take advantage of the power of each engines algorithms.

It’s a good concept and one I’m enjoying exploring. It’s a bit counterintuitive to the way I’m used to searching (they don’t call Google a monopoly for nothing…), but the idea behind it makes it worth the effort.

In terms of specific feedback - the homepage could use some context, it isn’t clear immediately what the purpose of the site is, how you use it, or how/ why you should participate. Also, it would be good if someone proofread the FAQ’s…

I do have a concern that, as with many ‘ranking’ related systems companies or individuals could try and game the system, but hopefully the community over time will develop enough to counteract any potential concerns.

All in all an intriguing addition to both the search and social networking spaces, and one to watch.

[photo credit: scienceduck on Flickr]

Tags: url.com

A new niche social networking site with a twist has launched and it should be on the radar of marketers everywhere. The site, Zebo, is all about our, or our clients, brands. What’s hot, what’s not, what people want, what people own, what the trends are, what sucks, and on top of it friends give each other advice on shopping and you can ultimately purchase a product.

I highly suggest adding this site to the social media monitoring mix, consumer persona research, and exploring the potentials it offers on the e-commerce side (US brands only at this point but with plans to expand at a later date - Canadians take note). The site is already attracting attention amongst the media with a write up in the NYTimes, and if there is one truth about teenagers is that they love to shop. It will be interesting to see if it takes off from the niche and becomes a staple for sharing trends and tips & how the ROI on the ecom side measures up to traditional online storefronts.

h/t - Three Minds

Tags: Zebo