According to Jupiter Research, “Search will develop like TV and print publishing markets.” Jupiter draws a parallel between the development of search and the television industry which started out with the Big 3, NBC, CBS and ABC leading the market at first, only to see its market share splintered off by more specific television stations like CNN, MTV and the many movie channels offered by HBO and others. According to Jupiter’s article, Google, Yahoo! and MSN are the new NBC, CBS and ABC of search.
They go on to say in their press release that the four horsemen of vertical search, retail, financial services, media and entertainment and travel – accounted for 79% of the $2.6 billion spent on paid search in 2004, which means these areas are ripe for search engine development and advertising dollars. Many naysayers have spoken out against this analogy but I can see this happening.
A news search engine that focuses on the news, the whole news and nothing but the news I think will do well. This news search engine can tap into resources around the world for the latest breaking updates from around the globe and even have expert commentators, anchors or guides similar to the About.com model. Experts in many different areas can blog their opinions on the latest news, trends and new analysis and even various moderated blogging debates can take place between various groups. Combine this with streaming video and digital sound and this may give the CNN TV news show a run for their money.
An all business search engine with a similar model will also do well as search can deliver more in-depth information than television itself can and has the ability to tap into many different sources simultaneously which is beyond the scope of television. So, search many not only run parallel to the development of the television industry, but take market share away from the TV industry as well.
Many people still don’t realize that search is still in its infancy, in many respects, and as more people become more sophisticated users of the Internet interests will start to wander away from the Big 3 search engines into more specific wants and needs. Vertical search, I believe, within the next 5 – 10 years will be THE landscape instead of the potted flowers sitting on the front lawn as it is right now.
