Who works with whom?

Search engines and directories interrelate with other search engines, for example their share their databases to cover more Web pages. In addition, the search engines partner with pay per click search engines to supplement their revenue.

Some search engines form new alliances to access new audiences. For example, Google has established partnerships with Palm and Vodafone to provide searches on PDA's and on mobile phones.

It's essential to know which search engines and directories work together. If you want to plan an effective search engine optimization strategy, you must know which search engine partners cooperate and who gets results from whom.

We've compiled a table which lists popular search engines from the USA and the UK. It tells you which search engines and directories get their search results from whom.

The table will help you in your future search engine marketing efforts: if your Web site doesn't get listed by one search engine, you can try to submit to the partner engine which provides secondary or directory results.

Please note that such partnerships and alliances change regularly.

Who works with whom?

AllTheWeb
Gets search results from FAST, Open Directory Project (ODP), Overture
AltaVista
Gets additional search results from LookSmart, Overture

AltaVista UK
Gets additional search results from LookSmart UK, Overture UK

Ask Jeeves
Gets search results from Overture, Teoma

Ask Jeeves UK
Gets search results from AltaVista UK, Espotting , Mirago, Overture UK, Teoma

AOL Search
Gets search results from Google, Open Directory Project (ODP)

AOL Search UK
Gets search results from Google, Open Directory Project (ODP), Overture UK

Espotting (UK)
Gets additional search results from Inktomi

Freeserve (UK)
Gets search results from Google, Overture UK

Google and Google UK
Get additional search results from Open Directory Project (ODP)

HotBot
Gets search results from Inktomi, Open Directory Project (ODP), Overture

HotBot UK
Gets search results from Espotting , Inktomi, Open Directory Project (ODP)

LookSmart
Gets additional search results from Inktomi

LookSmart UK
Gets additional search results from Espotting , Inktomi

Lycos
Gets additional search results from FAST, Open Directory Project (ODP), Overture

Lycos UK
Gets additional search results from FAST, Open Directory Project (ODP), Overture UK

MSN Search
Gets additional search results from Inktomi, LookSmart, Overture

MSN Search UK
Gets additional search results from Inktomi, LookSmart, Overture UK

Netscape Search
Gets search results from Google, Open Directory Project (ODP), Overture

Overture
Gets additional search results from Inktomi

Overture UK
Gets additional search results from Inktomi

Yahoo
Gets additional search results from Google, Overture

Yahoo UK
Gets additional search results from Espotting , Google

(as of September 2002)

As you can see, almost all popular search engines are powered by only a handful of other companies. If your Web site is listed in Google, Inktomi, Open Directory Project (ODP) and Overture, you'll be able to reach almost all search engine users.

There's a nice relationship chart of US search engines at http://www.bruceclay.com/searchenginechart.pdf

You can click the logos to view a brief explanation of each search engine or directory.

Knowledge is power. If you know how search engines compose their rankings, you'll be able to optimize your Web pages for high rankings.

Further information can be found at
http://www.Axandra.com/search-engine-studies/index.htm

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