Headings

Basics

Results Formatting: The ability to control the formatting of the search results. Options are Configuration, Wrapper and Complete.

Search Options: The ability to control search options such as maximum number to return, what parts of the page to search, how many results on a page, whether to display descriptions and/or context. Options are Configuration and User.

Page Limit: Maximum number of pages of the site that may be indexed.

robots.txt: Whether the robot (indexer) honors the standard robots.txt to exclude pages from indexing.

Exclusion Spec: Whether the service provides the option to exclude pages, similar to a robots.txt file, but configured through the service administration pages.

Robots Meta: Whether the services support the Robots Meta tag. This tag can specify index/noindex and follow/nofollow to control whether a particular page will be indexed.

Partial Noindex: Whether the robot (indexer) honors the pseudo-standard <noindex></noindex> to exclude parts of pages from indexing. Yes indicates that the service honors <noindex></noindex>. If the service uses another protocol, it is indicated by "Nonstandard" and a footnote.

Ads or Logo: Whether the services uses ads to pay for the free service or relies on their logo to achieve branding.

Results Context: Whether the service has the ability to display the "context" of the found word. Context shows the part of the page containing the word being searched.

Results Language: Different languages supported for display on the results page. Primarily used to change the language used to display headings (e.g., "prev", "next").

Search Language: Different languages supported for display on the results page. Primarily used to change the language used to display headings (e.g., "prev", "next").

File Formats: The particular file formats that are indexed.

Indexing

Automatic Reindexing: Whether the service automatically reindexes the site and, if so, how often.

Manual Limits: How frequently can the reindex be requested.

Online/Batch: Some services perform the indexing in a "batch" or "background" mode and email you when completed. Some services also perform the indexing "immediately" in an "online" mode and provide a page to monitor the reindexing progress. So far, every "online" also does "batch"; for these I show "both".

Indexable Components: There are various components that can be indexed on a web (HTML) page. These include (a) Title, (b) Description, (c) Keywords, (d) Body, (e) Alt tags and (f) URL. Some services provide explicit information on what they index and provide the ability to select which to index and/or what "weight" to give the different components. In addition, some indexes permit querying for words within these "components" separately (e.g., looking for "Sclerosis" in the title of a page).

Multiple Roots: Some services restrict the indexing for a site to pages at one and only one root. (e.g., pages at www.JamesSHuggins.com). Some sites have pages under more than one root (or entry point) and some services permit specifying multiple roots as a way to index these multiple roots into one logical index.

Other Indexing Controls: At least one service also provides other ways to control indexing (e.g., pages can be restricted to one server).

Results Format

Templates: Services that offer "configuration" as one of their approaches to creating results pages may offer one or more "templates" as the basis for configuration.

HTML Page Header: Some services permit the specification of HTML for the page header of the results page. This is more than just specifying a logo, or title. The ability to include full HTML permits a high degree of customization of the results page, approaching "Wrapper".

HTML Page Footer: Some services permit the specification of HTML for the page footer of the results page. This is more than just specifying a logo, or link back text. The ability to include full HTML permits a high degree of customization of the results page, approaching "Wrapper".

Display Site Name: Services that do not permit HTML Headers, may permit display of the site name.

Link Back Text/URL: Services that do not permit HTML Headers, may provide a way to specify "link back text" and the URL to link back to.

Page Title: Services may permit customization or specification of the Title of the results page.

Page Heading: Services that do not permit HTML Headers, may permit specification of page header text.

Image/Logo: Services that do not permit HTML Headers, may permit specification of a personal image or logo to appear at the top of the page.

Selectable Service Logo: Services that use their logo as part of their branding effort, may permit the specification of which logo to use, in order to more closely match the look and feel of your page.

Presentation

Sort: Configure: Whether the service permits configuration of results sort order. Results may be sorted into three different orders: (a) score (a measure of the relevancy of the page to the request), (b) Update date (the date of change of the page), (c) Title of the page. Some services sort into only one order (typically score). Others permit configuration of the sequence.

Sort: User Control: Whether the service permits the user to specify the sort sequence at request time.

Sort: The possibilities for sorting the results.

Per Page: Config: Whether the service permits configuration of the number of results per page.

Per Page: User: Whether the service permits user specification of the number of results per page.

Per Page Options: The possible values for the number of results per page.

Short Format: Whether the service supports display of a "Short Format". The Long Format of a display typically includes the title, either the description or context or both, and perhaps, URL, size, update date and score. The Long Format of a display typically includes only the title. Some services only use a Long Format. Some support both.

Short Format: User: Whether the service permits the user to specify a Short Format display at search time.

Same or New Page: Whether clicking on a result link will open the result in the same page (default target

Fonts

Configure Face: Whether the font face used for the results listing can be configured.

Configure Color: Whether the font color used for the results listing can be configured.

Component Fonts: Whether the fonts specific to the (a) Title, (b) Description, (c) Context, (d) URL, (e) Size, (f) Update Date, and (g) Score, can be individually configured. If "No", then these various components of the listing will have the same font face and color, and possibly size.

Config Link Colors: Whether the colors used for links (Link, ALink and VLink) can be configured for the results page.

Config Context: Whether the highlighting used to identify words in context can be configured. (Typically this is a bold listing.)

Page

Background Color: Whether the background color of the results page can be configured.

Background Image: Whether a background image for the results page can be configured.

Long Format

Title: Whether the Long Format includes the page Title.

Description: Whether the Long Format includes the page Description.

Context: Whether the Long Format includes the context (i.e., the text containing the searched words).

Score: Whether the Long Format includes the relevancy score.

Date: Whether the Long Format includes the Update Date.

Size: Whether the Long Format includes the page size.

URL: Whether the Long Format includes the page URL.

Depth: Whether the Long Format includes the Depth. (Depth is the number of clicks from the home page that this page is. A page with a Depth of "1" is one click off the home page. A page with a Depth of "2" is two clicks.)

Special Links

Show Similar: Whether the results page includes a link to "Show Similar" pages (or an equivalent link).

Link to Parents: Whether the results page includes a link to the parents of the page.

Help Link: Whether the results page includes a link to "Help". (Typical help would include information on search options, and, in the case of complex button/selection forms, information on these options.)

Searching :

Match Options: Whether the search function supports options for matching (e.g., any word, all words, exact phrase).

Sound Alike: Whether the search function supports searches for similar sounding words.

Search In Results: Whether the search function supports searching only within the results of the last search. This is useful for narrowing a search.

Search Specific Components: Whether the search function supports searching for words in specific components of the page. For example, searching within (a) Title, (b) Description, (c) Keywords, (d) Body, (e) Alt tags, (f) URL.

Scoring

Control Weighting: Whether the relevancy score weighting (e.g., relevancy of Title vs Alt tags) can be controlled. "Yes" indicates it is configurable. "User" indicates that the user can alter the weightings at search time.

Categories

Site Category: Whether the service requests a "classification" or "category" of the website.

Site Map

Site Map: Whether the service creates a Site Map. (N. B.: At this time, only one service is known to create a Site Map. This section of the comparison may be eliminated or substantially reduced in scope.)

Site Map Formats: What different Site Map formats are available.

User Can Switch Site Map Formats: Whether the user can choose which Site Map format to see.

<title> for Site Map: Whether a page Title can be specified for the Site Map page.

Headline for Site Map: Whether a page headline can be specified for the Site Map page.

Configure Site Map Separator: Whether the separators used on the Site Map page can be configured.

Site Map Depth: Whether the Site Map depth can be configured.

Site Map Table Width: Whether the Site Map table width can be configured.

Search Box on Site Map: Whether the appearance of a Search Box on the Site Map page can be configured.

Web Search

Web Search: Whether the service also supports searching the web, or only searching the site. (N. B.: In creating the examples on this site, all web search options have been disabled and are not used.)

Advertisements

Ad Source: The source(s) for the ads appearing on the results pages. May include links to the sites involved.

Ad Privacy Info: Whether privacy information for the ads is disclosed. May include links to the sites involved.

Ad Data Collection Opt Out: Whether the sources for the ads provide the option to opt out of any data collection used to associate ads with other behavior.

Character Sets:

Character Set Encoding Support: Whether the service supports recognition of different character sets. (N. B.: This is only of substantial interest if you use an alternate character set.)

Double Byte Support: Whether the service supports recognition of double-byte (e.g., Chinese) character sets. (N. B.: This is only of substantial interest if you use a double-byte character set.)

Special Features

Excluded Words: Whether the service permits you to specify words not to index.

Synonyms: Whether the service permits you to specify a synonym list. For example, if you specify MS and "Multiple Sclerosis" to be synonyms, then searches for one will also find the other.

Site Subset: Whether the service permits you to create "subsets" or sections of the site for searching. For example, if you have a site on Baseball, you might create subsets or sections on Players, Teams, Leagues. And you might wish to permit a user to specify a search of a particular subset or section. Typically this requires segregating the subsets or sections into their own subdirectories. (N. B.: In creating the examples on this site, no subsets were created and all subset features of the services were "turned off".)

Frame Support: Whether the service can successfully process sites using frames.

Password Support: Whether the service can store passwords required to access sections of your site in order to successfully index those sections.

Administration

Usage Reports: Whether the service offers reports to show usage of the search service.

Indexing Log: Whether the service provides a log of the indexing performed on your site. Such a log permits you to see what indexes were created and to evaluate whether the indexing is working as you anticipated.

Indexing Error Log: Whether the service provides an error log of the indexing performed on your site. Such a log permits you to see what indexes were not created (e.g., missing/broken links, documents not indexed because they are the wrong type, etc.) and to evaluate whether the indexing is working as you anticipated.

Footnotes

1. Atomz has the most complete scripting language of any so far.