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Search Engine Optimization is Dead! Long Live Answer Engines.

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Hunch, a new site from the co-founder of Flickr, launched today

I haven't gotten this excited about a new "search engine" since 2004. Back then, Eurekster launched and I started a whole blog about it, in the style of the unofficial google blog.  Of course my irrational exuberance was unfounded, as Eurekster continues to limp along. Or maybe it's fairer to say that my expectations weren't in line with their aspirations. 

Either way, let's just say that I'm tempering my excitement for this new "search engine," by only writing a blog post about it, as opposed to creating a whole blog around it.

What is Hunch? 

If you've been watching TV lately, you'll notice that Microsoft has launched a new search engine called Bing. In the ads, they make fun of how search engines return a list of usually unrelated results whenever you're trying to get an answer to a question

Bing's innovation is that they guide you to [what was] farecast if you're doing a travel related search. 

But, compared to Hunch, Bing isn't even close to a decision making or "answer" engine. 

Hunch enables their users to work together to create sets of questions and answers. It also lets users create "topics" that are a series of questions that guide users to one of a handful of answers. 

In effect, they let the community create answers to complex questions. This is the innovation that is huge! 

Of course, like Eurekster, success of this services will depend upon whether a significant number of users start contributing to it. Then, it'll require a massive amount of people to start using it. But, I think Caterina Fake, Hunch's co-founder and co-founder of Flickr, probably has what it takes to make that happen. So, I'm giving this a big benefit of the doubt. 

How to Use Hunch to Help People Find You!

This morning, when I started playing with Hunch, I was initially not sure how this would benefit businesses. At first, they ask you to answer a bunch of questions about yourself to help teach the system about you. I told them a bunch of things about me that seemed very irrelevant to someone who'd want to market to me, especially if that company is a b2b company. 

But, I'm glad I went back and tried to understand it a bit better. When I did, I realized that there were ways to get complex questions answered, by answering a series of questions that the community has created and stringed together. I did a few searches and didn't see any questions that were already answered that I really wanted an answer to. So, I figured I'd try and teach the system. Once I started creating a "topic," "What Blogging Software Should I Use," the system informed me that there was one that was already similar. 

So, I started down the road of answering some questions so the system could tell me, "What should I use to create a blog?

Here's how I set up HubSpot, so that we might have a better chance of being found when someone wants to answer this question:

  1. I added HubSpot blogging software as an option including a description, an image and a link to the page on our site that explains our blogging software.
  2. I told the system how people would answer all the questions if they were a good fit for HubSpot software. For example, for the question, "Is this blog for personal or professional use?", I selected "professional" from the list of 3 options. 
  3. I was able to add questions like, "Do you care if your blog helps you attract more search engine traffic to your business domain?" and then selected the different answers that would apply to "yes" and which ones applied to "no".

Why SEO will Move Aside for DEO (Decision Engine Optimization)...

With Hunch (a decision making engine), it's possible to get actual answers to questions, instead of just a list of things that might be relevant. 

The rules of DEO are simple: 

  1. Be really good at what you do, so that other people will build you into their questions and answers.
  2. Make sure your solution is present when people are asking for a solution like yours.
  3. Create decision making guides that help your best prospects find you by feeding the system the right series of questions to ask to them.

What if Hunch Doesn't Ever Get as Big as Google?

Learning from my hype-making-mistakes, I'd like to temper this post a bit by saying, even if Hunch doesn't get huge, it's still a good SEO move to participate at Hunch. 

Why? Because Hunch is a site (just like answers.com, Yahoo! Answers, Wikipedia, aboutus.org, Knol and Squidoo) that will show up in Google's search engine results pages more easily than your site --- especially for a challenging keyword. If you can't get your website to rank for a challenging keyword, you might as well try and be featured on the page that can.

As people create more and more "topics," Hunch will generate a lot of free search traffic from Google. The pages are automatically optimized as the site places the questions in the page title, url and some other important spots. I also expect the site to attract a lot of links naturally, as topics become really authoritative ways of finding good answers to tough questions that search engines just don't know YET! 

What Do You Think? Any Equally Bullish Predictions? 

Search Engine Optimization Kit

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Download our search engine optimization kit.


Posted by Pete Caputa on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 @ 09:52 AM

COMMENTS

Ironic, part of the title to this article is called 'Search Engine Optimization is Dead!' yet there is an ad spot for 'Search Engine Optimization Kit'. : ) 
 
Other than, interesting post.

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 10:30 AM by dan


Peter, I like your optimistic outlook on this tool. Sounds like it has some good potential to function well as bridge between not so techie folks who want an answer and businesses that want to get found by both high and tech and low tech thinkers.  
 
My tongue is bleeding as I resist the urge to say, I have a hunch they might be onto something...oops, slipped out :)  
 
Thanks for the post. I'm gonna carve out some time to investigate it later today.  

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 10:30 AM by Lisa Almeida


Looks fantastic and intriguing. I think your blog post has delivered millions to the Hunch servers... 
They're wheezing a bit. 
Thanks for this post.

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 11:11 AM by Richard Pelletier


I think the next big advances in search are still going to rely on natural language processing algorithms, both for query understanding and document extraction. 
 
At this point, it seems most likely to come out of Google, simply because they have access to the world's largest training corpus and the raw computing power necessary to develop a high-precision/high-recall statistical NLP document retriever. 
 
It will be a big shift when Google is looking at a more semantic view of the contents of a web page (and I don't mean Semantic Web markup, I mean a deeper understanding of the raw text) and combining that with PageRank in favor of their current keyword-based models.

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 11:17 AM by Nicolas Ward


You've got to be kidding! I was on that stupid Hunch site for over 20 minutes answering their stupid questions with no notice of how long it was going to go on! I left! I guess that just shows how stupid I am for going on as long as I did.

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 12:36 PM by Paul


I'm not sure I agree with the part about if Hunch does not get as big as Google. 
 
SEO (which is actually G.O.) is a numbers game. What you're purporting is that each individual of several million sites could be indexed as itself on Google and indexed inside Hunch inside Google. 
 
I find it difficult to get my head around that one, and even more difficult to see Google "having that".

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 12:39 PM by Arthur Charles Van Wyk


The only problem with the DEO model is that it's not common man friendly it seems. Let's face it, Google has been as successful as it is because it's so ridiculously simple to use.  
 
They're going to have a hard time selling casual Internet users on this. But if there ends up being a correlation between spending habits online and use of DEO, then I think it will be a little bit more worth it.  
 
So then maybe it won't get big at all but it might be more laser targeted - something I think we're all looking for.

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 12:44 PM by Jeff Machado | Internet Marketing For Coaches


The questions are fascinating! Unfortunately, after too much time spent answering them, I was told the system was too busy and to try again later. Hah!

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 12:45 PM by Janet Robbins


Whatever we as business owners can do to be "seen" is helpful. I appreciate your input! Our Company appreciates your input and help in any way! Judy F. McWethy,Owner A Biscuit In A Basket

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 12:51 PM by Judy McWethy


Interestingly enough, I see strong similarities between Hunch and StumbleUpon. As a long-time avid SU user, I'm really excited to play with Hunch. In fact, I would love to see SU partner with or buy out Hunch. They would make quite a team! 
 
Seeking input: 
 
What do you think Google's response to the changing concept of "search" will look like?

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 7:00 PM by Sean Weigold Ferguson


Yeah! Very nice article!!!

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 7:18 PM by Rafael Lacerda


@Dan. It is kind of ironic. I didn't pick the CTA. :-) 
 
@Lisa. Let us know what you think after you've answered and built some questions.  
 
@Richard. We probably sent hundreds of visitors, and I bet they've attracted atleast 10s of 1,000s of visitors today, but I don't think I caused the wheezing. I did see the slowness, though. It's definitely still a little buggy. I'm sure they'll figure it out.  
 
@Nicolas. I don't think Google really wants to go through the effort of extracting meaning from Millions of web pages. I also think that's an "innovative dillemma" type solution the problem of turning search engines into find engines. I believe Hunch's approach is an Innovator's Solution. Instead of trying to be everything on day one, they're trying to solve the problem of building a smarter web, one question at a time. If anything, I think a big engine will buy this or create a clone. I'd bet on Yahoo, though.  
 
@Paul. Are you stupid for not realizing the value of the site or stupid for spending your time trying?  
 
@Arthur. Haven't you ever done a search and ended up at Yahoo Answers, Wikipedia, or some other site that let's users create content? A fairly common approach to internet marketing is to publish content on these kinds of sites with links back to your site. Then, building some links to the page on this user generated site to get that one to rank in Google. Hunch will be one of these sites. 
 
@Jeff. Good point that regular users may never start at Hunch to do a search. But, think about slightly more advanced users who are really looking to find a solution to a problem that they are willing to spend $ to fix. That's very helpful when a prospect is farther along in the buying process. A lot more helpful than adwords.  
 
@Janet. I saw a lot of slowness too.  
 
@Sean. I don't really see the similarities between stumbleupon and Hunch. I think that people using stumbleupon are truly just looking to pass the time, whereas people using Hunch (at this stage of the game) are really just looking to see what's going on there. I guess it's logical that some people will spend their time on hunch just to pass the time. But, I see much more utility and purpose for Hunch compared to SU.  

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 7:56 PM by peter caputa


@peter 
 
The similarity I see is in the concept of an algorithm gaining sophisticated knowledge about one's likes and dislikes through a very simple system. 
 
I was first attracted to StumbleUpon after learning that the algorithm would improve over time and come to "know" me. I can absolutely testify that it has done so. 
 
The truth is that I don't even Stumble very often. I do spend a lot of time thumbs-upping things I come across naturally. With almost 3000 favorites on my StumbleUpon account, every time I do click the Stumble button, I almost always receive a fascinating result. 
 
I'd like to see how well Hunch can do the same.

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 8:19 PM by Sean Weigold Ferguson


Gotta love another proclamation that SEO is dead. </sarcasm> 
 
Hunch and other options, both past and present, give people more choices when attempting to solve their "problem". 
 
As the web continues to evolve, search, and other options to discover content will too.  
 
Hunch represents another option to traditional search, not a replacement.

posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 10:04 PM by Pat Strader


Very curious about Hunch. Definitely have to do some research. Thanks for sharing.

posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 1:20 AM by Justin


Peter 
 
I guess my challenge lie in the semantics then. You punt Hunch as an engine, when in fact it is merely an aggregator like all the others we all use.  
With HUnch as an aggregator, I see serious optimization opportunities in the future.

posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 1:45 AM by Arthur Charles Van Wyk


@Sean. Thanks for explaining. I get it now. I didn't before. I haven't invested that much time in SU. 
 
@Pat. Agreed. It's another option.  
 
@Arthur. Great point. It is certainly more of an aggregator, than an index of the web. What makes it kinda like a search engine is the fact that answers have URLs that point to other sites on the web. In this way, it certainly helps people find stuff on the web, like a search engine.  
 
I've been playing around some more for those that are interested in testing it.  
 
I created a topic called "What HubSpot Product Should I use? 
 
It's not perfect yet. Feel free to contribute to it if you know something about the HubSpot products.

posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 7:22 AM by peter caputa


Looks you are quite positive and encouraging visitors to use this search engine. I was just checking out this site and its intriguing...i must admit. Good luck to Hunch.

posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 10:03 AM by Shan


With the recent reports on Google Fail being made public, I think a suitable alternative to Google is the need of the hour. DEO is the new buzzword and hunch is a welcome break from everything Google! Having said that, it remains to be seen how smaller fry compete with a name that is like a household word. Even visitors searching on yahoo or Live search use this word as a verb! 
 
Learn more at aafter search! 
 

posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 1:03 PM by frank nimitrov


Beautiful article and the information you have provided about new search engine Hunch, it is excellent. Thanks :)

posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 2:33 PM by Yesi Hill


I have a hunch you may be right about the future of searching the internet.

posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 3:49 PM by Frugalocal


Here's what I did: 
 
Answered the questions and wondered why. 
 
Clicked on the director/directors/ link and answered some more questions. 
 
Turned up James Cameron. Not recognising the name I wanted to see a list of films he made so I did what I always do: 
 
Selected James Cameron, Right clicked Search Google. Because I knew for certain that the top results would include James Cameron's entry in imdb which would have to be the most comprehensive unbiased movie site I know. 
 
The ease of accessing Google and the knowledge that I'd find what I want led me away.  
 
So give it another go. I'm in the market for a new 24" LCD monitor. Type "computer monitor" and select "What computer monitor should I buy?" 
 
Gave me a price range to choose. But was that in Aust. dollars? Assumed it wasn't and immediately learnt about a handful on monitors. Are they available in Australia? Who is the authority that gave me this list - what is their credibility? What other options do I have? Can I get it in my home town today?  
 
These are all questions that are answered immediately in Google search results alone. 
 
<a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&hs=EPx&q=24+inch+lcd+monitor+hobart&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryAU">Google search gives me a long list of options I know I can get not far from here (in Australian dollars) right off the bat. 
 
Does this make Hunch useless. Probably not. What is it useful for? Who knows - but I sure as hell don't need another sign up account to find out. I'll wait until someone like your good selves lets me know what you found out!

posted on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 10:34 AM by Craig Rose


THanks for sharing your experience, Craig.  
 
You are right:  
- Hunch isn't ready for regular users yet. There isn't enough authoritative knowledge. There aren't enough contributors yet.  
- Google has certain categories cornered pretty well like actors and shopping for popular consumer items.  
 
I bet Hunch will get better at this these things. But, I also think it'll make it's mark FIRST with:  
- more complex questions.  
- b2b buying guide type stuff.  
- later stage decision making process.  
 
Time will tell, though.  
 
I am somewhat addicted to contributing to Hunch. So, I'm sure I'll write about it on our more in the future, when it gets better.

posted on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 10:40 AM by peter caputa


Its important to noted that Hunch is not a search engine, it is a decision engine. It's designed to help users make more informed decisions based on a very simple series of inputs. 
 
I agree with Peter in saying that in its current state, Hunch has limited usefulness. The strength is that through user contribution it will eventually become a powerful tool. 
 
This is one advantage that it has over resources like Google. I for one am a believer that user contribution in combination with algorithms is the future of the web.

posted on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 1:05 PM by Sean Weigold Ferguson


It is a good start to be used as a search engine for question and answer.In the near future,like the other search engines,i guess it will play a major role at online marketing.

posted on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 8:09 PM by land rover spares


Wow, I have never heard of Hutch before now. Must do some more reading. 
 
Great post!

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posted on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 10:53 PM by serenalin


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posted on Wednesday, September 09, 2009 at 9:58 PM by Klip


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