I was interested to hear about a new search engine in beta, http://www.chacha.com. The unique (at least I think it’s unique) thing about this search engine is that you can have a live guide, a real live person that you can talk to (or type to) as you conduct your search. This guide can refine the results that you see based on what you tell them.
Of course, I had to check this out.
I did my search on “eye tracking” to see what came up. Three results came up (sorry, no screenshot) with the first being the wikipedia entry for “eye tracking”. I was asked if these results were sufficient. I said that I wish to see eye tracking information on search engines. At this point I was transferred to another guide (maybe one more knowledgeable in this area?) and was asked if I wanted to delete the results and start over. I agreed and was presented with some more results after a lengthy waiting period. These results weren’t bad but I noticed the Enquiro Eye Tracking Study was not on the page. This wouldn’t normally be a problem but a quick search at chacha.com without a guide on “eye tracking search engines” and “eye tracking search engine interactions” listed Enquiro as the number #1 result. So for some reason the self-serve and the guided sets of results didn’t match.
Here is a transcript of the session with the final search results:
Status: Connecting ...
Status: Looking for a guide ...
Status: Connected to guide: ElizaG
ElizaG: Welcome to ChaCha!
ElizaG: Hello
ElizaG: Are these results sufficient?
You: i was actually looking for one on search engines
Transfer: You are being transfered to another guide who can help you search even better!Looking for guide ...
Status: Connected to guide: ChanJ
ChanJ: Welcome to ChaCha!
ChanJ: How may I assist your search?
You: i was looking for info on eye tracking on search engine interactions
ChanJ: Thanks for your patience while I search for your results.
ChanJ: Would you like for me to delete the present results?
You: sure
ChanJ: I am experiencing technical difficulties. One moment please...
You: np
ChanJ: Is there a specific area of eye tracking research you are interested in or do you just need general information?
You: info on search engine interactions
ChanJ: One moment please...
ChanJ: Thanks for being patient! Rest assured I'm finding the most relevant results for your search.
ChanJ: Are these results sufficient?
You: i think so
ChanJ: Is there anything else on this topic I can find for you today?
You: no thanks
ChanJ: I hope you had a great search experience.
ChanJ: Please RATE ME. Thanks for using ChaCha.
Status: Session ended.
ChaChas’s own web site states that they are trying to create:
- A smart search engine that "learns" by tapping into human intelligence so its results are always improving
- A place to find exactly what you're looking for instantly
- Help from people who are knowledgeable about the very thing you are looking for when instant results don't have the answer
And further, that when searching with a guide, ChaCha only provides quality, human results.
I find it fascinating that while the major search engines (Google, Yahoo!, MSN) are moving towards a more natural search experience, trying to understand our intent using methodologies such as eye tracking and behavioral targeting, here is another search engine in reality saying Forget it, we don’t know what you really want and we’re not going to try to guess. Here’s a real, live person that you can explain it to.
So will the other search engines follow suit and move away from trying to understand user intent? I don't think so. The advantages of being able to better understand how users search are many, and not just for the search engines. However, I have to admit that this type of search experience may be appealing to some people.
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