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List of Major Web Search Engines

What is a Search Engine?

An internet search engine is a searchable online database of internet resources.  A web search engine has several components:

• Search engine software

• Spider software

• An index (database)

• A relevancy algorithm (rules for ranking)

Search engines are useful to private investigators because they provide a quick and easy way to retrieve information on a wide variety of topics.  Sometimes, missing persons search case can be resolved using nothing more than a search engine and a telephone.  Remember to use a variety of search engines as each search engine indexes different websites and has different rules for ranking and sorting their results.

List of Popular Search Engines

Following is a list of some of the more popular search engines and directories on the internet.

AllCrawl	AllCrawl.com is a meta-search engine, which means that when you search on AllCrawl, you will receive the top search results from the leading search engines on the Internet today at the same time. This method will deliver the most relevant results in a single search, rather than spending time going to each individual search engine. AllCrawl queries the leading search engines including Google, Yahoo, MSN, LookSmart and more!
All The Web	AlltheWeb combines one of the largest and freshest indices with the most powerful search features that allow anyone to find anything faster than with any other search engine.  AlltheWeb's index (provided by Yahoo!) includes billions of web pages, as well as tens of millions of PDF and MS Word® files. Yahoo! frequently scans the entire web to ensure that our content is fresh and to eliminate broken links.
AltaVista	AltaVista is a web search engine owned by Yahoo!.  AltaVista used to be one of the most popular search engines but its popularity declined with the rise of Google's search engine. Yahoo  announced that it plans to discontinue the site.
America Online (AOL)	Search less and discover more with AOL Search®. Our product delivers comprehensive web results enhanced by Google™ along with quick, easy access to relevant videos, pictures, local maps, news, stock quotes and more.
Ask.com	Ask.com is a leading search engine on the Web. Millions of people turn to Ask.com to get what they are looking for online everyday.  Founded as Ask Jeeves in 1996 and renamed Ask.com in February 2005, Ask.com is recognized for innovation in search technology and search interface design.
Google	The number one search engine, Google dominates the search market, with around 90% of the worlds search engine traffic.  Google's search utility and ease of use have made it one of the world's best known search engines and brands almost entirely through word of mouth from satisfied users.
Bing	Bing is a new search engine from Microsoft that finds and organizes the answers you need so you can make faster, more informed decisions.  Bing has emerged as a legitimate contender for search engine traffic.  Instead of the usual plain white page background, Bing displays an interesting photo on their background.
Dogpile	Dogpile searches multiple search engines at once.
GenieKnows	GenieKnows.com narrows the field of organic search results by developing niche-specific portals tailored for distinct searching communities, and also empowers a broad distribution network for advertisers by conveying meaningful, revenue-generating search results.
IX Quick	Ixquick is a metasearch engine: when you search Ixquick, you are searching many popular search engines at the same time. Combined, these engines cover more of the Internet than any one search engine covers.
Lycos	Lycos, established in 1995, is one of the oldest and most widely known Internet brands in the world, evolving from one of the original search engines on the web, into a comprehensive network of sites that foster online communities. The Lycos Network provides web search and navigation, homepage building and web hosting services, web-based e-mail, online games and cutting-edge video platforms. Lycos's award-winning products and services include tools for blogging, web publishing and hosting, video sharing, social networking, games, e-mail, and search.
Mamma	Mamma.com provides relevant results from the best search engines on the Internet.
Metacrawler	MetaCrawler uses innovative metasearch technology to search the Internet's top search engines, including Google, Yahoo! Search, MSN Search, Ask Jeeves, About, MIVA, LookSmart and more. With one single click, MetaCrawler searches the best results from the combined pool of the world's leading search engines -- instead of results from only one single search engine.
Searching for Someone? We recommend US Search, the leading provider of People Search and Background Check reports. US Search has an extensive selection of people search reports, background checks, criminal records, court records, real estate and financial reports.  Run a Background Check at US SEARCH
MSN	Microsoft's MSN Live search engine.
Northern Light	Northern Light Search provides access to business and industry news from thousands of hand-selected business news sites, leading business publications, industry authority blogs, regional newspapers, and national news sources.
Reference.Com	Reference.com is a multi-source encyclopedia search service produced by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC, a leading provider of language reference products and services on the Internet.
Search Com	Search.com searches Google, Ask.com, LookSmart and other leading search engines to bring you the best results.  Search.com metasearch search engine - The only search you need.
WebCrawler	WebCrawler® brings users the top search results from Google, Yahoo!, Windows Live, Ask and other popular search engines. WebCrawler also provides multimedia results, including images, audio, video, news, and local information. WebCrawler is a registered trademark of InfoSpace, Inc.
Yahoo	Founded in 1994 by Stanford Ph.D. students David Filo and Jerry Yang, Yahoo! began as a hobby and has evolved into a leading global brand that has changed the way people communicate with each other, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information. Today, led by an executive team that includes CEO and Chief Yahoo Jerry Yang, President Susan Decker, Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen, and Co-Founder/Chief Yahoo David Filo, Yahoo! Inc. has become the world's largest global online network of integrated services with more than 500 million users worldwide. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with a presence in more than 20 markets and regions around the globe.