Yahoo! on Thursday released the beta version of an Instant Search function, which instantly responds to user queries with a "speech bubble" containing the most popular related search term in Yahoo!'s
database.
For example, keying the letter "b" into Yahoo! Search's query box--once the new software has been downloaded--produces a bubble with the Web link to the bus carrier Greyhound
Lines. Following the letter "b" with the letter "u" returns a bubble with a link to Boston University's Web site. Adding an "s" and an "h" results in a link to Bush's White House.
"The goal here
is to get users the results they're looking for as fast as possible," Mihir Shah, director of product management for Yahoo! Search, said.
The Instant Search technology also incorporates many of
Yahoo!'s other content features, such as weather and stock quotes, so if users type in "new york weather," they see a bubble containing New York City's current and extended forecast, plus a link to
Yahoo!'s extended forecast page. Typing in Google's ticker symbol, "goog," brings up the price at which the stock was last traded, and links to additional stock data, as well as a graph charting the
stock activity that day.
Also, if users are happy with the link suggested, they may skirt the search listings page and go directly to the desired site by entering "control" and then "enter."
As is common with Yahoo! betas, Instant Search has not been monetized, nor will it be until users familiarize themselves with the tool and offer their feedback, Shah said.
Rival Google has a
somewhat similar, but less nuanced, feature known as "I'm Feeling Lucky." After a user types one or more letters into Google's query box, they may click the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button, which will
bring them to the most popular related link term in Google's database.