Nine Search Engines That Preceded Google’s Dominance
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Chapter 1: A Glimpse Back at Early Internet Searching
Do you remember when people would say they "searched for something online"? Nowadays, it's common to hear folks say they "Googled it." The term "Google" as a verb was first mentioned in 1998 by Larry Page, one of Google's founders. It's amusing to think about the reactions of those who heard him; some might have seen it as a bit presumptuous. Fast forward eight years, and Google had firmly established itself as the leading search engine, making the phrase "Google it" a household term.
Fun Fact: The verb "Google" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2006—just eight years after the service's launch!
However, it might surprise younger readers to learn that the Internet existed before Google. I remember getting my first PC in 1994, and by the end of that year, I was online. Back then, dial-up connections meant that using the internet monopolized the phone line, and pages that loaded in under three seconds were considered fast.
So, how did we manage to search for information before the advent of Google? Here’s a look at NINE search engines that paved the way.
Section 1.1: Archie
If you ask Google about the very first search engine, you might receive various answers, but Archie, launched in 1990 at McGill University in Montreal, is often credited as the first.
Archie, short for "Archives," was designed to search FTP files, allowing users to explore the early Internet landscape. However, it lacked the ability to interpret natural language and could not index file contents, limiting its functionality significantly.
Section 1.2: ALIWEB
Next came ALIWEB (Archie Like Indexing for the Web), which launched in early 1993. It allowed users to submit their index files, offering a more user-driven search experience.
This advancement marked a significant step forward from Archie, but it still required webmasters to contribute, which hampered its growth.
Section 1.3: WebCrawler
WebCrawler debuted in January 1994, created by Brian Pinkerton at the University of Washington. Initially, it indexed about 4,000 websites and quickly gained popularity.
WebCrawler was noteworthy as the first search engine to offer full-text search capabilities, and it remains active today, aggregating results from Google and Bing.
Chapter 2: The Rise of Major Players
Section 2.1: Yahoo!
In 1995, Jerry Yang and David Filo introduced Yahoo!, which became a major internet gateway long before social media took over.
Yahoo! expanded its services, adding chat, games, and email, but struggled to keep pace with Google's rapid advancements.
Section 2.2: Alta Vista
Established in 1995, Alta Vista quickly became a heavyweight in the search engine market, providing a straightforward search interface.
At its peak, Alta Vista held a 20% market share, but its decline began after being acquired by Yahoo! in 2003, leading to its eventual closure in 2013.
Section 2.3: Lycos
Lycos, launched in 1994, was among the first search engines to go public, achieving a market valuation exceeding $300 million on its first trading day.
Though it thrived initially, the dot-com crash in 2000 significantly impacted its viability.
Section 2.4: Excite
Founded in 1993, Excite aimed to become a content portal but soon learned that users primarily sought search results.
Despite facing challenges, it still enjoys a niche following today.
Section 2.5: Infoseek
Infoseek gained prominence as the default search engine in the Netscape browser, making it highly visible in the mid-90s.
It was known for introducing complex search modifiers, but after being acquired by Disney, it was eventually shut down in 2001.
Section 2.6: Ask Jeeves
Launched in 1996, Ask Jeeves utilized a unique Q&A format that was innovative for its time.
Though it has since rebranded to "Ask," it still maintains a focus on questions and answers, albeit overshadowed by platforms like Quora.
Today, Google commands a staggering 92% of global search traffic, while Bing holds a mere 2.8%. This wasn't always the case—20 years ago, Yahoo! led the pack with a 36% share. As Google focused on refining its search capabilities, it gradually eclipsed its competitors.
The success of Google can largely be attributed to its commitment to search, enabling it to thrive even as other early search engines faded away. We owe a nod of appreciation to those pioneering platforms like Lycos, WebCrawler, and Ask Jeeves for laying the groundwork for today's online search landscape.