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A comment on A startup is testing a subscription model for search engines.

Re:A startup is testing a subscription model for search engines by ALittleLight on Monday July 06, 2020 @05:17PM (#23752850)
I'm very interested in the idea, but I don't like:

"Like Neeva, Startpage sources search results externally—in its case, directly from Google"

I've been having a lot of trouble with Google search results lately. They seem to be getting worse all the time. I'd love to join a new search engine, but if the limit of their search quality is Google, I just can't get that excited.

I'd prefer to start using something that is 80% of the quality of Google and getting better, than something that is fixed to Google.

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Re:A startup is testing a subscription model for search engines by sjtindell on Monday July 06, 2020 @05:30PM (#23753002)
To me this isn’t a problem with Google, but with SEO. Gaming the system to get a better ranking is an entire industry now, and that won’t stop no matter which engine is the most popular.
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Re:A startup is testing a subscription model for search engines by ALittleLight on Monday July 06, 2020 @05:48PM (#23753191)
One solution would be a good, but unpopular search engine. SEO wouldn't optimize for it because the returns wouldn't be there, and I could use it and get good results, because it would be good.

I can imagine paying a subscription to use it is one way to have a good and unpopular search engine.

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Re:A startup is testing a subscription model for search engines by asdff on Monday July 06, 2020 @05:56PM (#23753258)
Eventually that too will be subject to eternal September. You can't win, unless you make your own and never share it.
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Re:A startup is testing a subscription model for search engines by 6510 on Monday July 06, 2020 @06:51PM (#23753679)
keep the secret!
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Re:A startup is testing a subscription model for search engines by basch on Monday July 06, 2020 @05:38PM (#23753100)
Google also seems to be preferring new results. SEO is part of it, but SEO shouldnt change the good content google already had indexed. SEO
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Re:A startup is testing a subscription model for search engines by CamperBob2 on Monday July 06, 2020 @05:57PM (#23753262)
Honestly, it's about time they tweaked their algorithm to favor newer content in many areas. I'm tired of getting five- to ten-year old pages when searching on contemporary technical topics or looking for a workaround for the latest Firefox weirdness.
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Re:A startup is testing a subscription model for search engines by kevin_thibedeau on Monday July 06, 2020 @06:34PM (#23753566)
Google benefits from SEO because those most willing to game the system are also running the most ads. They have no incentive to make search work as well as it did in the past.
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