Search Experiment

[goforbroke]

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I'm looking for feedback on a UK based Search Directory I'm playing around with, and who better to ask than affiliates?

I'm mainly looking for ideas for an algorithm which is fair to the submitted urls and which brings up relevant sites for the searcher. Yes, I know Google and MSN spend millions on theirs, and keep them secret!

Currently I am adapting the WebWiz Internet Search. At the moment, it ranks sites purely on number of votes cast by users for a given site + how many clicks have been made out to a site. When a search is conducted it currently searches the site's title and submitted keywords - something I will be changing.

My thinking presently goes something like:
1) Search in title and description only - getting rid of submitted keywords to help reduce spam.
2) Use a points system to rank sites, with points being awarded for:
* search term in title +5
* search term in description
* reciprical link +20
* clicks in from reciprical links +2 each
* clicks out to site + 1 each
* UK based site +20
* Verified sites (ie. ones which have been checked) +50
3) Maintain manual editing of database to remove duplicate links, spam, inapropriate content, etc.

That is the general idea, anyhow.

So, what are your views?

The site is currently up and running, has nil ranking in Google, but is sorta open for business. For those who want to submit their sites or see how it's going, it's at www.mypd.co.uk/search (*Mod's please delete link if this is not allowed! *)

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[Mogga]

What about negative points for pop ups, pop unders, etc
You could reward sites which have valid html, a privacy statement, safe surf rating etc.

[goforbroke]

Excellent! That's the sort of thing I'm looking for. I can award those particular points when sites are verified! Cheers.

[999gi]

Ive often wondered why search engines dont use "back clicks" as the best test of relevancy

To me any search result that when clicked has a high % of people that click the "back" button and come back to the search engine is probably not a good result for that keyphrase.

Its user votes driven but in a natural type of way

[goforbroke]

Hmmmm.... I like that theory. Whether it's possible or not though?!?!

[Spartan]

Originally posted by 999gi
Ive often wondered why search engines dont use "back clicks" as the best test of relevancy

To me any search result that when clicked has a high % of people that click the "back" button and come back to the search engine is probably not a good result for that keyphrase.

Its user votes driven but in a natural type of way

It would be very easy to abuse, just like using clicks.

Regards, S