MSN to Google: Suck our Googles, Google.

From Pandia Search World:

MSN Search one step closer to launch

(November 10 2004, update November 11) Several news sites have announced that MSN will launch its new search engine today. This is not really the case.

Others have told their readers that they will present a beta test version of the new search engine for the very first time. This is not correct, either. MSN has had a tech preview available for some time now.

What is clear is that MSN has upgraded their Techpreview to a more advanced public beta test site. This site will be run in parallel with the regular MSN search site and portal, which both are powered by the Yahoo! search engine at the moment.

So MSN is not rushing it. They want the new search engine to be as good as Google's before they do a proper launch -- which is clearly the most sensible thing to do.

The company seems very optimistic. MSN chief executive Steve Ballmer told shareholders on Tuesday that "We will catch up, we will surpass [Google]". But then gain, this is exactly the kind of thing you are supposed to tell shareholders.

Among the new features added to the MSN search engine is a "Near Me" button that restricts your search to your local area. The feature is based on your computers IP address, but you may also set the geographical location manually.

There is extensive support for advanced searching. A separate "Search Builder" link opens up a more advanced search form on the search page itself. You may limit your search to specific domains, countries, languages or regions or to pages that link to a defined URL. The "Search Builder" then transforms your query to the correct Boolean syntax.

Another innovation is the search engine algorithm sliders. Yes, you may adjust the search ranking by degree of match, page popularity and freshness.

It is this type of innovation that gives Microsoft a chance against Google. However, there is no reason to believe that MSN will overtake Google as the leading search portal in the very near future. This technology is not better than Google's, and Google has built a better brand. However, searchers will definitely benefit from getting such a strong alternative to Google.