# Search Engines Powered by Google **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engines-powered-by-google/223931 "2004-01-11T04:13:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engines-powered-by-google/223931/1 "2004-01-11T04:13:57Z")
why are there so many search engines powered by Google? what’s the point if they all produce the same results? what are some good search engines _not_ powered by Google? ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engines-powered-by-google/223931/2 "2004-01-11T04:41:07Z")
I’m not quite sure what you mean. Sites like [Altavista](http://av.com%5B/url) and [Yahoo](http://www.yahoo.com) don’t use Google technology AFAIK. Google _does_ sell their [Search Appliance](http://www.google.ca/appliance/) for intranets and such, and IIRC you can get them to do specific searches throughout your site so you don’t have to have a search function yourself. Any search engines you’re thinking of specifically? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engines-powered-by-google/223931/3 "2004-01-11T04:42:54Z")
I think he/she’s refering to those little boxes within third-party sites such as fansites which send the search request to google and then bring back the results to within the sending site. It is a fairly useless addition to a site. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engines-powered-by-google/223931/4 "2004-01-11T05:02:28Z")
**Nanoda** , Yahoo does currently use google results in addition to it’s directory. They are planning to change that however. [www.iwon.com](http://www.iwon.com) is another that uses google. These companies license Google’s search technology because frankly, it’s the best there is right now. Others may not have the resources to design their own, and this allows them to sell ad space using google’s results. Some that don’t use google: [www.altavista.com](http://www.altavista.com) [www.lycos.com](http://www.lycos.com) [www.hotbot.com](http://www.hotbot.com) [www.excite.com](http://www.excite.com) ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engines-powered-by-google/223931/5 "2004-01-11T05:06:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*I think he/she’s refering to those little boxes within third-party sites such as fansites which send the search request to google and then bring back the results to within the sending site. It is a fairly useless addition to a site. \*\* It’s useful for users who don’t know how limit a [google.com](http://google.com) search to a specific domain or site. ---
**Author:** ![Pepsi\_Classic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f19dbf/32.png) [@Pepsi\_Classic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pepsi_Classic)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engines-powered-by-google/223931/6 "2004-01-11T05:06:24Z")
Yahoo does use google. Or did. [http://www.searchenginewatch.com/sereport/article.php/2165081](http://www.searchenginewatch.com/sereport/article.php/2165081) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engines-powered-by-google/223931/7 "2004-01-11T05:06:56Z")
I believe Yahoo does indeed use Google as its underlying search technology, because there have been many recent articles about Yahoo planning on jettisoning Google. Go to Google News and… Here’s a [link](http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/7651342.htm): > [@](#): > > Posted on Wed, Jan. 07, 2004 > > TECH TICKER > > NET SEARCH > > Google-Yahoo split boosts Ask Jeeves > > The stock of Internet search engine Ask Jeeves rose sharply Tuesday after Yahoo said it will soon end its alliance with Google. And [guess what](http://www.webadvantage.net/tip_archive.cfm?tip_id=353&&a=1): > [@](#): > > Yahoo is also the current owner of AltaVista. Here’s a great chart of Who Powers Whom: [http://www.searchenginewatch.com/reports/article.php/2156401](http://www.searchenginewatch.com/reports/article.php/2156401) And the answer to the OP is that sites that use Google try to use it in a way that adds to its own content to provide unique advantages. Yahoo is a portal and has all sorts of stuff on it besides just the search engine bit. Even AltaVista, a “pure” search engine, can sell its own ads in its own arrangement and add on its own extra features to compete with Google for the audience. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engines-powered-by-google/223931/8 "2004-01-11T05:07:47Z")
"Yahoo! selects Google as its default search results provider to complement Yahoo!'s web directory and navigational guide. " [http://www.google.com/corporate/timeline.html](http://www.google.com/corporate/timeline.html) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engines-powered-by-google/223931/9 "2004-01-11T05:09:23Z")
A post-midnight simulpost. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engines-powered-by-google/223931/10 "2004-01-11T17:26:18Z")
i was actually thinking of Yahoo and AOL Search. those are the main 2 i used to use besides Google itself.