Search APIs - Creating Your Own Custom Search Engine Search engine optimization	Visited: 1734 Not rated Rate: Select 1 - Terrible 2 - Poor 3 - Average 4 - Good 5 - Outstanding
by Reshmi Prakashan April 24, 2008

So, what is a search engine and what does it do?
(and – can I run my own search engine on my domain – an analysis)

Search engine is a program or a tool that searches for the information on the Internet based on the words which user insert into the search box. After the words are inserted into the search box and when you click on search button the search engine looks into its own database to find out whether it contains those information which the user is actually looking for.

There are many major search engines of the web. Why are these considered to be "major" search engines? Because they are either well known or well used like Google and Yahoo. But then, there are lots of other search engines as well, for eg: DogPile is a search engine that is based on MetaSearch (a search engine pulling out results from other search engines) also among those who are “TRUE” search engines (Search engines having their own database/index are search engines like Exalead & Dhoondho.

(http://www.dhoondho.com).

Among the newer search engines, Dhoondho is a fast growing search engine. It has a very useful feature for developers called as a “Search API. Using these Software Developers/companies can use the vast Internet knowledge of Dhoondho, to perform Internet related searches & then act upon the information received. Using this custom search engines can be built, documents can be searched for, all in a very convenient XML API.

Let’s look at a sample search engine & see why lots of people like gogoquick.com (http://www.gogoquick.com) are creating their own custom Search engines

Search engines such as Google,Yahoo(Yahoo was a directory & now a search engine) & Dhoondho search engine uses a web crawler as its web-indexing robot, which is known as spiders, or crawler, which comb the Internet looking for documents and their web addresses. However, different search engines have their own ways of finding relevance. For eg: Google uses – Page rank, I’m not sure what the others use though but Dhoondho seems to be using something called the “Relevance Rank” .

Features of Google API

Google API result relevancy is Very good, speed is very fast (1-2 seconds).Displays results in AJAX API which is not very flexible. Certain no of queries per day are free .Scope of integration are not much, since it’s an AJAX API. Provides Developer Key, commercial licensing is unknown. Website is http://www.google.com

Features of Gigablast API

Gigablast API result relevancy is very bad as compared to other APIs, speed is quite ok (2-4 Seconds).Displays results in XML format which is very flexible to the user, and has a limit on number of queries though based upon Payment. Downside is: Too Expensive .The XML API is a wide integration in almost all languages – Java, Php, Flash, ASP, AJAX etc...Provides developer key.

Commercial Licensing is also provided on request. Website- http://www.gigablast.com.

Features of Alexa API

Alexa API result relevancy is also quite good, speed is fast(1-2 seconds).It is a paid API(Through Amazon),displays results in XML formats and very flexible to user – has limit on number of queries though based upon payment. Downside: Too Expensive. Scope of integration and developer key both are unknown. Commercial licensing is provided on request. Website- http://www.alexa.com

Features of Dhoondho API

Dhoondho API result relevancy is quite good, speed is very fast (1-2 seconds).Display results in XML format, very flexible to user and has limit on number of queries though based upon Payment. Decently priced at 150 USD / month for 10 GB worth of Data Transfer. XML API provides for a wide integration in almost all languages – Java, Php, Flash, ASP, AJAX etc...Developer key is provided. . Free sample integration script is provided with Instant Download and no registration is required. URL:http://dhoondho.com/searchapi/search_Api_Template.zip. For Commercial Licensing Online registration should be done

Website – http://dhoondho/com.

NOTE: Tests are as per what we felt during our trial of the above APIs. There is no guarantee that the same comparison will hold in the future or was in the past. Users are advised to carry out their own tests before settling on an API. The Author or the publisher of this article refuses to be blamed for any damages arising from any of the above APIs. This is put here as a disclaimer to absolve us of any damages arising of use f this information & to make all the Lawyers who want to sue us for providing our own views, un-happy