Introduction
The future of search is a compelling and exciting topic to discuss. Given the pace of technology and our collective hunger for quick and convenient information across media, combined with the innovative spirit of both US and international Web-based firms, search is bound to evolve and evolve rapidly. With approximately four times as many mobile phones sold each year as compared to PCs, the rapid emergence of mobile search is eminent.
The convergence of traditional media such as radio and TV will foster two-way communication capabilities in the future, compared to the current method of simply passively watching/hearing ads, and this convergence will change how we interact with these mediums. And of course, there is the emergence of semantic search. Given that the definition of semantic search is still being debated, there is not yet a consensus on its potential impact. Yet even without a concrete definition, semantic search seems to be a catalyst for the natural progression of the industry.
Semantic Search
Before we define semantic search, it’s probably best to look at the following example scenario. Imagine that someone is searching with the keywords “red vans.” The search results may display results related to shoes and/or automobiles. However, by analyzing the context of the keywords in relation to each other and adding in any other accessible data such as demographic data, geographic data, etc., the search engine could display more meaningful and accurate search results.
If you’re a 16 year old female living in Atlanta, Georgia you’re probably looking for the shoe side of this search query. Conversely, if you’re a 58 year old male living in Statesville, North Carolina then the automotive results are probably more accurate. Add one more keyword to that phrase such as “authentic red vans” and the search results become significantly more meaningful, even if the geographic or demographic data is not included. The added clarity is simply a function of the context of the keywords in relation to each other.
Semantic Search Defined
As demonstrated above, the vast potential of semantic search is to supplement and advance traditional search queries by utilizing several data points including XML & RDF data, demographic data, geographic information, and more to improve the accuracy of search results by adding layers of keyword context to the search algorithms. If semantic search’s capability is fully implemented, it could potentially reshape the definition of search relevance and revolutionize search algorithms.
Thus, enabling these algorithms to go beyond the current search metrics of keyword-rich content and data, and instead to begin to eloquently dissect the meaning of each word in the search query in correlation to all of the words within the query as well as taking other available data points into consideration. This method weighs the relationship of each keyword in the query to the others, delivering a more sophisticated, relevant search result. If we can truly establish and adopt better semantic standards for the Web, then search will become more accurate and context oriented.
Hence, semantic search should logically result in better search results for relatively ambiguous search queries due to the greater availability of contextual information provided by the establishment of semantic standards for the Web. However, there is some doubt about whether the W3C framework for semantics will ever be implemented.
Television & Radio Search
The convergence of traditional media such as television, radio, etc. with online technology will evolve faster than people think. We are still at the beginning stages of this evolution and there are many theories as to what this will look like in the next generation (IPTV, STB’s connected to the Web etc.), but the integration of online technologies with traditional mediums such as television will provide a deeper insight into the actions and trends of the audience and give that audience more power to have bilateral communication.
Why give a phone number to dial to order pizza? Just order from your remote. Like the song you heard on the radio? Download the album immediately. The impact to search will most likely be greater on the pay per click side, but the ability to communicate via traditional mediums will provide great convenience to the consumer and huge opportunities to the marketer.
Mobile Search
Mobile search is already here, but it’s about to gain serious momentum with the increasing availability of easy to use mobile-friendly devices such as Apple’s iPhone and with the upcoming launch of Google’s Android. The barrier to this market in the past has been user experience. Mobile search has failed to gain broad acceptance due to the fact that consumers haven’t felt comfortable enough with the size or usability of these devices, coupled with the lack of mobile friendly / search-friendly sites.
Even today’s basic GPS technology on mobile devices allows for untapped search opportunities. Using an Apple iPhone, you could walk down the street in New York and search for “Italian Restaurant” and not only get general Italian restaurant search results, but also get Italian restaurant results that are close to your current location.
However, this too is changing and as new and better technologies that add more advanced GPS data into the devices emerge, it will not only make them more usable for directions, but will add more potency to search. Rashidi Barnett, Director of Online Strategy at NeboWeb, likes to talk about the coming of Hyper Local Search.
“Take the same Italian restaurant example above, but add a touch more complexity. Instead of simply wanting to eat Italian food, you want whole wheat penne with checca”, says Barnett. “Searching for this with today’s technology won’t give restaurants geo-targeted to your actual location, but if you add the hyper local element to the mix not only would you get the Italian restaurants near your proximity, but would get the restaurants that serve that dish.”
In Summary
Although the future of search is uncertain and many of the areas described above may or may not be fully realized, one thing that is certain is that search is currently on the brink of huge changes and these changes will be both exciting and useful for the consumer. Being able to search across multiple media and with more meaningful search results being delivered in easier and faster ways is the next big step in search.