A9 Search Engine Optimization

The A9 search engine retrieves its main results from Google via both web and image results. Results are supplemented by Alexa, which also provides A9 with its site info buttons. What separates the A9 search engine from the rest is that it presents its users with a unique set of features. For instance, A9 search engine users can look for book text information from Amazon.com via Search Inside the Book results (for example, books on SEO Service or Search Engine Optimization); users can look for information from Internet Movie Database (a subsidiary of Amazon); and users can reference information through GuruNet. These different features are located within variable columns, which can be resized or turned completely off. According to A9, “A9.com provides several sources of information with a customized multi-column interface. The list of available sources appears as buttons on the right side of the search results page. Clicking on any button opens a new column on the same page (clicking the button again will close that column). You can adjust the size of the columns by dragging the borders to the left or right. The arrangement of open columns and their relative sizes is automatically kept for the next search.”

*note: In order for your website to be listed with the A9 search engine , you should have an SEO service company perform an analysis to determine if it needs Search Engine Optimization

The A9 search engine is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, and operates out of Palo Alto California. A9 was created in October of 2003, and released to beta in April of 2004. The full release of the A9 search engine was implemented September 15, 2005.

A9 Toolbar

With the A9 toolbar, users have access to a number of features. These include: Bookmarks (also accessible from the main page), Diary, Highlight, Automatic List, Site Info and History Checker.

Bookmarks: Unlike regular web browsers, A9 lets users store bookmarks right on A9’s server. This allows users to access their bookmarks from any remote PC. Users also have access to a drag and drop feature, which lets them drag and drop any item from search results, Discover link and history, to their bookmarks or the search box. These Bookmarks can be viewed via the adjustable columns on the main page, or through the toolbar.

Diary: The diary feature allows users to record notes on any web site visited. This information is automatically saved to the site as soon as the user finishes typing.

Highlight: The highlight feature displays search terms, which appear on a user’s results page. It also shows the user how many times these terms occur.

Automatic List: The automatic list feature lists sites searched for right in the toolbar, so the user does not have to keep moving back to the main search page. This makes searching convenient and easy to navigate. Users can also create their own lists from their bookmarks.

Site Info: With the Site Info button, users can view information about a site before it is visited, as well as view information about related sites. This feature “displays the average traffic rank for the domain you’re visiting, the speed of the site itself, other sites that link to the page, other sites that visitors to the page also frequent, and reviews for the site”

History Checker: With the history checker, a web browsing history can be saved via the toolbar. Users can search past search histories, as well as clear history items. A9 also utilizes this feature to recommend new sites, display alerts about new search results, and tell the user the last time a page was visited.

Other Features: There are a couple of other stellar features that A9 offers. The translator lets users search for English words in the reference column. Users can then check to see how these words are translated into different languages. The A9 search engine interface also presents a novel feature that allows users to enter search terms right into the URL slot. For example, typing in ‘http://a9.com search engine optimization’ will return results about search engine optimization.

New Additions: In Jan 2005, A9 added “block view” to its yellow pages section, which lets users view picture maps of business locations throughout the USA.

OpenSearch:

A9 now allows users to publish syndicated articles, such as blogs, through OpenSearch. OpenSearch is not a standard search engine. It utilizes RSS 2.0, which is a widely accepted XML- format for content syndication.

According to A9, with OpenSearch “Any site that has contentand a search boxcan choose to return results in OpenSearch RSS. This includes travel sites, classifieds, encyclopedias. If you can provide search results for something, it probably can fit into the OpenSearch model. Returning OpenSearch results is easythe format is the standard set of XML elements, plus three additional elements designed to support navigation between pages.

OpenSearch is comprised of:

1.OpenSearch RSS: XML format for providing open search results.

2.OpenSearch Description Documents: XML files that identify and describe a search engine.

3.OpenSearch Aggregators: Sites, such as A9.com, that can display OpenSearch results.

OpenSearch is not an seit is a way for search engines to publish their search results in a standard and accessible format. And because OpenSearch is built on top of standard RSS, existing toolssuch as blog readerscan read OpenSearch results natively. While existing RSS tools can’t take advantage of all of the advanced features that OpenSearch offers, this backward compatibility guarantees a rich set of client applications for OpenSearch today.”