The former whipping boy of algorithm-based search engines in Ask.com has reinvented itself – and it’s better than ever – if you’re a believer in user generated content in the form of questions and answers.
Ask.com remains the fourth largest site in the US for unique searches according to May 2011 comScore data, with 63 million domestic monthly unique monthly users. That alone, make Ask.com relevant. The company, a brand of IAC, has struggled for years which may change as it completes its transition for pure Web search to a question and answer site and mobile service.
“Ask’s approach to Q&A is unique – we embrace questions where we can deliver answers in milliseconds from content on the Web, but also deeply appreciate that crawlers can’t replace human experience,” said Doug Leeds, CEO, Ask.com. “Our limited exposure beta period allowed us to learn where humans and search best intersect as mechanisms for getting credible answers to the millions of questions – fact-based or subjective – we receive each day. Today’s launch combines the best of these two worlds into a single, comprehensive Q&A destination.”
The most noticeable changes are to the Web search functionality which is tailored to Q&A style content, a streamlined design showcasing the Q&A content, improved sharing and social features, and of course its Ask People feature which provides users the ability to exchange questions and answers with other Ask.com users.