IndustryNew MSN Search Emerges In Beta

New MSN Search Emerges In Beta

MSN Search has released a new beta version of its service that offers a number of handy features, including upgraded spell-checking, improved query refinement and integration of information from Microsoft's Encarta Enquire reference service.

MSN Search has released a new beta version of its service that offers a number of handy features, including upgraded spell-checking, improved query refinement and integration of information from Microsoft’s Encarta Enquire reference service.

Some users of MSN Search may already be encountering the new service, which went live last week, as about 5 percent of traffic to the regular site is being diverted to the beta site for testing purposes. The beta should go fully live on the regular site within the month, and many of the changes will also appear on country-specific versions of MSN Search for Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

One of the most notable changes is with spell checking. MSN Search has had “always on” spell checking for some time. However, there are occasions when users may not want their spelling changed. Because of this, MSN Search may now warn you when your spelling is being changed, allowing you to override its good intentions.

For example, search for “broccolli.” You’ll see that the term gets changed to “broccoli” in the results. However, you’ll also discover a link under the search box that says, “Spelling Corrected! Do not correct my spelling. Search for broccolli.” Be selecting that link, you can force MSN Search to run your query with the incorrect spelling.

Unfortunately, the override link doesn’t always appear. For instance, an incorrect search for “geneology” is corrected and changed to “genealogy,” but no option to use the incorrect spelling is offered. Of course, you probably don’t want the incorrect spelling, but you do want consistent behavior with how spell checking works.

Let stay with “broccoli” to see how MSN Search’s new integration of Expedia content works. In a search for the vegetable, you’ll see that the first link is “Broccoli (Encyclopedia Article)” followed by an Encarta icon. Selecting the link brings you up a match from Microsoft’s Encarta Enquire research service, which is primarily made up of information from the Encarta encyclopedia.

Certainly, this is Microsoft promoting its own content through its search service, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it is good information. Many users will benefit by the new integration. Exploring the Encarta links, when they come up in response to relevant searches, will lead you to high-quality information.

Branching out from broccoli, let’s next try a search for “vegetables,” to explore how query refinement has changed at MSN Search. In response to that search, you’ll find a section under the search box on the results page called “POPULAR ‘vegetables’ TOPICS.” In this area are links, designed to help you narrow in more specifically on a particular topic. They are similar to links that appeared in this area before, but one of the main changes is that you’ll now see the links more often.

“I think a number of people will find that this is a good way to zoom in,” said Bill Bliss, general manager of MSN Search.

For instance, the “vegetables (food)” link brings up matches that are relevant to vegetables as something to eat, while “vegetable gardening (gardening)” link changes your search to bring back sites relevant about gardening. In both of those examples, the query in the search box will stay as “vegetable.” However, behind the scenes, the link you chose transmitted other information that helped you get a more refined list relevant to the topic selected.

While Popular Topics are intended to narrow users into a particular direction, new “Broaden Your Search” links that may appear at the bottom of results are intended to help you look more widely in new directions.

For instance, in a search for “vegetables,” a Broaden Your Search link called “Vegetables > Guides & Directories” appears. Selecting the “Guides & Directories” part of the link takes you to a categorized list of sites called that comes from LookSmart. You can then use the “breadcrumb” trail highlighted in yellow at the top of the page to work your way up the category levels to see the broader topics that are available.

In other changes, MSN Search has added new support for queries about movies. For example, a search for “Shrek” brings up a synopsis of the movie and the ability to view its trailer. You’ll find similar presentation for other movies.

Those in East Asian countries will also find that the sorting of sites within directory categories at MSN Search has been improved. Since some languages like Japanese lack a concept of alphabetical order, the results were essentially listed randomly, MSN Search says. Now you should find more popular sites appearing at the top.

MSN Search Beta
http://beta.search.msn.com/

MSN Search
http://search.msn.com/

Excite Gets Search Refinement Feature, Paid Listings Coming
The Search Engine Report, April 2, 2001
https://www.searchenginewatch.com/sereport/01/04-excite.html

Past article that covers the state of spell checking offered by several major search engines.

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