Search evolution: from web directories to universal search

Development and challenges

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…and what will the future bring?

Introduction

Origins of search – web directories

Search engines catch up

Different vertical searches and universal search

Challenges

Lookout

Agenda

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Christian Kunz

WEB.DE / 1&1 employee since 1998 – started as directory

editor for WEB.DE

Stages in career: project manager, head of project

management, senior product manager search, senior project

manager search

Project Management Profesional (PMP)

Certified Scrum Master (CSM)

Owner of SEO Südwest (SEO blog http://www.seo-

suedwest.de)

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Experience

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Project Management

SEO

Product Management

Benefits

Search from search provider‘s point of view

Getting to know each other

Interesting exchange of ideas

Fun

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1&1 – Member of United Internet AG

SEDO Holding AG79.45 %

Indirect shareholdings

via EFF Shareholdings in

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Shareholdings in

young

Internet companies

100 %

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Goldbach 14.96 %

Hi-media 10.65 %

fun 49.00 %

Virtual Minds 48.65 %

ProfitBricks 30.02 %

Versatel 25.10 %

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Effective: March 21st 2013

Locations

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Origins of search – web directories

Origins of search – web directories

WEB.DE directory: start end of 1995 Entries edited manually Free entries First and main feature of WEB.DE

(Cinetic) Biggest German web directory in that

time

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Origins of search – web directories

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

Editors („Freischalter“) Check new entries for doublets, category,

availability 5-room-apartment in KA-Durlach

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Origins of search - directories…

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

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Search engines catch up

Search engines catch up

Search engines catch up

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About 85 % of search requests still happened in directory

!

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

Search engines catch up

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1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

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Recent years till now – different vertical searches

Recent years – different vertical searches in parallel

Different vertical searches as „search silos“

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Recent years till now

Web search („Blue links“)

Image search Local search

Integration / connection via navigation only

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

…

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Search today – universal search

Mai 16th, 2007 – all in one

Universal search – mixture of different media

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Knowledge Graph

News

Ratings

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

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Universal Search – mixture of different media

YP search results

Address search results

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

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Universal Search – mixture of different media

Product search results

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

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Universal Search – mixture of different media

App Content

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

2012: Universal search implementations decrease

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Shopping and video loose, images and local win (Germany)

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

Source: http://www.searchmetrics.com/de/universal-search-study/

Shopping results – the trend is clear

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Shopping and price comparison – one winner

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

Source: http://www.searchmetrics.com/de/universal-search-study/

Organic search gets crowded out…

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Local resultsGoogle Hotel

finder

Google sports results

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

Organic search gets crowded out…

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Local results

1995 1996-2000 Recent years till now

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Challenges

Challenges

Ranking algorithm – determine which results to display:

Keyword lists and meta keywords

IP targeting

Klick feedback (self-learning system)

Micro and macro layout

Determine search type (informational, navigational,

transactional)

Interpretation of semantic markup

Order of syndicated web results fix

Accompanying tests mandatory

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Challenges – Universal Search

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Challenges – Universal Search

Keyword

Vertical Searches

Location

Search History

Voice Search

Find advantages related to absolute number one in

search technology

With a smaller team

With fewer resources

Keep pace

Build up and accumulate search know-how

Find a definition for quality in search

Always be geared to market leader?

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Challenges – seize your chances

Partners

Environment of search projects at 1&1

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Software Development (4 developers)

Information Technology

Product Management

Project Management

Web Producing,

Screen Design

Quality Assurance

(development)

Quality Assurance

(end-to-end)Ext

erna

l Sup

plie

rs

Google: 351 reported search

algorithm updates – for 2012…

Challenge: Be quick and flexible…

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One way to be flexible: Kanban

Agile development

Iterative, incremental

Self-organization

Increasingly used throughout United

Internet

Practised by search team since 2012

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One way to be flexible: Kanban

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SEO as accompanying action in all projectsAlways keep in mind how new products, features or

technology can effect your ranking

Pure SEO projects (rare)Focus on technical and onsite factors

SEO for different brandsAvoid cannibalisation

SERP in SERPNot appreciated by Google & Co.

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Challenge: SEO for search?

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Challenge: keep balance between turnover and usage

New features attract new users

New features keep users inside

product

Every click on a feature is lost for

ads and sponsored links

Lookout: future search trends

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The retirement of the organic search results

Where have the organic results gone?

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Keep the user and present your own content

Tariff info

Product pages

FAQ, help documents

Editorial content

Interconnection of different services

Services info

Personalisation

Search phrase suggestions

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Multiple clients: adaptive and responsive design

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Online reputation and quality

Metrics that are hard to manipulate

Integration of search and social media

Expertise and brands

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Understand the user

Google‘s biggest technical challenges

according to Amit Singhal are:

Semantic understanding

Speech-to-text

Understanding of natural language

Understanding of conversations

Thanks for your attention.

Any questions?

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