Eurekster and WikiSeek take different approaches on Social Search

Two search engines, Eurekster and WikiSeek, have been in the press today, but for different reasons.  While Eurekster has raised $5.5 million in a round of venture capital, WikiSeek (which is backed by Sequoia) is having trouble creating their identity.  They are both very concerned with the social aspect of search, and have provided a niche service to address the growing need for better search.  So in the end, which one is more likely to succeed?

Eurekster

• found a niche and stuck with it.  Provides social search results within a community.
• created swikis.  Allows their service to be exported.
• actively engages users by allowing query results to be voted.
• creates ad revenue for websites.

WikiSeek

• found a niche and stuck with it.  May not provide much value to many users.
• highlights Wikipedia search results and does not offer enough outside results.
• passively engages the user, offering little to no interaction with search results.
• does not create ad revenue for websites.

It is key to engage the user for a social search engine, as it should be inherently social at its core.  Several of Eurekester's swiki features do for many what WikiSeek does for one, thus diversifying their appeal for users.  While Eurekster has lost some of it's footing in recent weeks, it seems to be back on the right track.  WikiSeek is receiving support from Wikipedia, but that may not be enough.  We'll see what WikiSeek's beta has to offer in the end.

This article was written by Kristen Nicole, who writes for 606tech.com.