METASEARCH ENGINES: CHARACTERISTICS, TYPES AND EXAMPLES - TECHNOLOGY - 2025

The metasearch engines are tools that send search requests of users to different search engines and / or web directories simultaneously, delivering results that offered by each. Thus, with the metasearch you can enter the search request only once and with that you have the ability to access several search engines at the same time.

After compiling the results, the metasearch engine will remove duplicate results and, depending on its algorithm, will combine or classify these final results into a single list.

Search result of the metasearch engine dogpile.com

Metasearch engines do not crawl the web by compiling in their own databases. Instead, they search the databases of multiple individual search engines simultaneously, but from a single site and using the same interface.

They initially emerged in the mid-1990s, offering the advantage that the user could save time due to the ability to simultaneously consult multiple search engines and web directories.

Characteristics of a metasearch engine

Source: From feedooweb - metasearch, CC BY-SA 4.0,

More effective search

You might think that Google offers such accurate results that no other search tool is needed. However, no major search engine indexes all existing web pages.

The major search engines index only a portion of the publicly indexable web. In addition, each search engine indexes different web pages, which means that if only one search engine is used, relevant results that could be found in other search engines will be lost.

They do not manage their own databases

Unlike individual search engines and directories, metasearch engines do not have their own databases and do not accept the submission of web addresses.

Web overview

They can very quickly provide an overview of what is available on the web and where it can be found.

They thus provide a quick way to discover which engines are retrieving the best results for the user's search.

Time saving

Meta search engines save users a considerable amount of time by avoiding the hassle of having to run a query on each search engine. Most of the time the results are extremely relevant.

Use for simple searches

Meta search engines are used when a relatively simple search is carried out and also when the documents obtained in the search are not relevant.

Many meta search engines only use simple search methods or restrict the advanced search options that can be applied. This is because different search engines interpret advanced search syntax in different ways.

Similarly, since some search engines or web directories do not allow advanced search techniques, such as quotes to enclose phrases, when these techniques are used, the results of those search engines will not appear in the meta search engine results list.

Results display

Search results can be displayed in one of the following forms of lists:

Single list

Most reflect the search results of the different engines in a single list where these results are combined, and in which duplicate entries have already been removed.

Multiple Lists

Others publish the results of the different search engines in separate lists that correspond to each search engine. Therefore, it is possible that there are duplicate entries.

Importance of its use

Because it is difficult to catalog the entire web, the idea is that by simultaneously searching multiple search engines you can search more of the web in less time, doing it with a single click.

Even the most basic meta search engine will allow you to search for more content on the web simultaneously than any search engine alone.

Today, common query results have become more consistent across major search engines. However, for more specialized searches or to find information that is difficult to find, it is a good choice to use a meta search engine.

Types and examples

- Flight metasearch engines

They provide a compilation of the best ticket finders. It is a way to find offers that are cheap, and that does not mean a waste of time.

Skyscanner

It is easy to find low cost deals. However, when they show the results they have few details of the ticket. Most of the time you have to buy the ticket on the pages where you are redirected.

Logitravel

It is very interesting because of its ability to find the flight and the hotel at the same time. This metasearch engine will offer the highest discount if both things are booked at the same time.

- Hotel metasearch engines

They make it possible to view the various prices of the rooms that are shown on different web pages of various tourist services from the same portal.

These portals can be used to find different room prices at the same time, thus showing users the "best" place to book their hotel.

The most important examples of these metasearch engines are Google Hotel Ads, TripAdvisor and Trivago.

Google Hotel Ads

This metasearch engine is the one with the highest growth. Billions of users search your engine, making it much easier to present your price comparison tool.

- Scientific metasearch engines

It is quite difficult to find sites on the Internet that provide reliable health information, as well as that is backed by scientific research.

With the following metasearch engines you can get information based on scientific evidence:

Honcode search

It allows access to content protected by the Health On the Net company code of conduct. This provides the security that the content meets the basic rules of reliability and quality.

Tripdatabase

It makes it possible to find high-quality clinical evidence in an efficient and simple way. On the page you can also find a large number of articles.

NHS evidence

With this metasearch engine, search results can be segregated by areas of interest, origin, type of content, etc.

- Job metasearch engines

They allow you to search for a job using different keywords and other filters, providing a list of automatically extracted results from all job seekers.

Generally speaking, everyone sifts through specialized job opportunity or job offer pages to answer the search.

Indeed

Allows you to search for jobs in a large number of web pages. Also companies directly post their jobs. It also offers the ability to create alerts.

Jobble

It works well in job indexing. Also, you can upload your CV. It differs from the others in that it also indexes freelance offers.

Examples of known metasearch engines

Ixquick (Startpage.com)

It is considered "the most powerful and private search tool in the world". Consult 14 different resources each time a search is carried out.

Dogpile

Consulting this metasearch engine will show the combined results of the main search engines on the web, such as Google and Yahoo!

Mamma

A search engine for discounts and coupon codes. It searches the major search engines and provides results ranked by relevance, while eliminating duplicate results.

Yippy

Search in a large number of sources and then group the results by category, thus allowing you to see the specific results for the category most directly related to the topic you are looking for.

Search

It is popular for its simplicity and a host of features. It shows the search result just like Google.

Unabot

It is a consolidation of all meta search engines. That means that it allows the user to choose from a large number of search engines and directories to consult.

Metacrawler

It uses innovative metasearch technology to search the major Internet search engines such as Google, MSN Search, and many more.

Kartoo

A visual meta search engine. Instead of displaying pages of traditional search results, it displays a graphical map of the search results.

Inccrawler

It is both a meta search engine and a web directory. Below the search box, the categories are displayed, performing in this way as if it were a traditional search portal.

Qksearch

It is considered a three-in-one meta search engine, as it provides both a cluster search, and a combined search and engine search.

Finqoo

The metasearch engine for faster property sales. The main property portals on the web are searched for properties for sale with a discount on the market value.

Polymeta

It is an advanced metasearch engine that is used to simultaneously search the web for various information resources with the same interface. Search results are sorted to be displayed in order of relevance.

Draze

It crawls multiple search engines and allows users to compare search results.

AllPlus

It strictly searches only four major search engines, which are Google, Yahoo !, Live, and Ask.

Turboscout

Search over 90 search engines. It is probably the largest meta search engine out there. You can search for images, news, products, blogs, etc.

Clusty

Check different major search engines, sort the results and thus create a list with a ranking.

This serves to push the best results to the top, pushing down the non-relevant results as well.

Zuula

It provides intact search results from multiple search engines, providing the opportunity to check them first before looking at the results of individual search engines.

Seek2Day

Collect the results issued by 16 search engines, quickly deciding which information is the most relevant.

Vroosh

Searches based on countries can be found. Similarly, you can choose the world version of Vroosh.

Zapmeta

Check out many of the major internet search engines and display the results in groups with the most relevant website appearing first.

References

1. Pablo Delgado (2019). How metasearch became the most important marketing channel in travel. Phocus Wire. Taken from: phocuswire.com.
2. Daniel Bazac (2002). Features - The Meta Search Engines: A Web Searcher's Best Friends. Taken from: llrx.com.
3. USC Beaufort Library (2014). Metasearch Engines. Taken from: sc.edu.
4. Website Builders (2019). What Is A Meta-Search Engine? Taken from: websitebuilders.com.
5. Where There Is Work (2019). Use job metasearch engines: you save a lot of time and refine your searches. Taken from: Dondehaytrabajo.com.
6. Israel Diaz Maldonado (2016). Do you already know these online search engines for doctors? Healthcare. Taken from: saludiario.com.