Search Engines

Before search engine companies (and particularly Google) grew to become gargantuan players in the economy, there were myriad competing search engines and directories, none really gaining the upper hand (you know – like Infoseek, AltaVista, Inktomi, Lycos, Ask Jeeves, Looksmart, Open Directory, Yahoo, and, er, Google). They ranked content differently as they each tried to come up with the most accurate algorithms (or in some cases, human-curated means) for doing so. [Today, “the algorithm” basically refers...

The marvels of Big Data, machine learning, and (if and when things get that far in any particular endeavor) artificial intelligence have sometimes appeared overstated. When it comes to deploying these to boost marketing efficiency, many marketers wonder if Google is unleashing all of this power to our benefit; and, if so, how can we tell? In that realm, it feels like a mixed blessing. Yet sometimes you just have to sit back and marvel. I don’t...