Ask Going on a Different Track
Last week saw the search industry lose one of its big (though not that big) players - Ask.com. It has been more than a week since rumours regarding the end of their use of Teoma came out but according to as Teoma was still going to be their core search engine technology. By last week though it was clear that Ask will no longer be the same again. It has given up on its efforts to overcome the almighty Google and instead now plans on focusing on a smaller and more specific market - married women. While there is nothing wrong with focusing on a niche market it is a sad day indeed for Ask enthusiasts and those that saw the great potential of this once innovative search company.
I guess this means one less search engine to worry about.
Related articles from across the web:
What Is Ask.Com’s New Strategy? (Wall Street Journal)
Ask.com search site to cut jobs, realign strategy (Reuters)
Obituary: A West Coast Digerati Deadpools Ask.com (Danny Sullivan in Search Engine Land)
Today is July 6, 2008
Is your SEO strategy up to date?
The only current SEO book on the planet.
Buy the industry standard #1 ranked SEO Book. But don't take my word for it...
This is the #1 ranking SEO book on all major search engines.
The search engines love it. Thousands of webmasters have build their business using SEO Book. Learn why today.
There is no real way of competing with something which has already defined its purpose to its target .Probably its time for those who have felt a downfall due to Google’s success to focus on their strategies for the future , until they figure out a self sustaining system which enables them to grab a certain part of the market through their own customized services.
Google being as successful as it is, it is hard to keep up. Ask is making a smart move by focusing on a small niche rather that trying to compete with Google directly.
I do agree that it is the smarter move for Ask. But even if I do fit in their “mother/wife/woman” profile I can’t see myself using them over Google. They no longer count as a search engine in my eyes. I still find it sad to see them give up. But then again they do need to cut their losses.