But Google distinguishes between a link from, say, Yahoo and one from Joe's Charo Fan Site. In Google's eyes, a link from Yahoo carries more weight. As this technology improves, expect natural-language searching to gain a larger foothold, especially with Internet newbies. And you probably choose the plumber with the most appealing ad. Commercial search sites, where companies pay for enhanced listings, mimic this system.
Responses contribute to page-ratings for popular search topics.
At the Mining Co. and Suite101, real humans comb and critique the Web's offerings. Instead, existing search sites will incorporate these new technologies. For example, HotBot now offers popularity results alongside traditional results.