Cuil is a new search engine on the block, trying to displace Google from the top of the search heap. They say their index is larger than Google’s, as if size is THAT important, and was launched by former Google employees.
Rather than trying to mimic Google’s method of ranking the quantity and quality of links to Web sites, Patterson says Cuil’s technology drills into the actual content of a page. And Cuil’s results will be presented in a more magazine-like format instead of just a vertical stack of Web links. Cuil’s results are displayed with more photos spread horizontally across the page and include sidebars that can be clicked on to learn more about topics related to the original search request.
So – is it any good? Would I recommend you start using it. Based on some preliminary searches, which I’ll outline below, I’ll have to give an unqualified no.
First, let’s search for me – Oscar Merida, this blog comes up as the first result, and the first four links are pretty relevant web sites where I write (and had my full first + last name displayed). Let’s take a look at what Cuil returns for the same query.
You may be surprised to learn I am a woman. I am just as suprised as you are. Who is that? Why is her picture next to my blog? For this first search, although my blog comes up first, I’d have to save its a big fail. Also notice that the blog post displayed with the search result is more than a month old!
I have a pretty popular Soccer Blogs website – how does it display on Cuil?
How disappoining – I’m not number #1, but even worse in my opinion, my very own soccer blogs badge is listed next to a site that can be though of as a competitor and is not even listed or linked to from my own site. Looks like cuil is, stupidly, matching images to search results without checking if the two are at all related or linked in some way!
I think the search results for Soccer Blogs on Google speak for themselves.
