Custom Search Engine released by Google

Want your own Google-flavored specialized search engine for your web site or blog? With Google's new Custom Search Engine service, it takes just minutes to set up your own unique search engine.
Google is joining Yahoo, Eurekster and many others in offering a customized search platform that makes it easy for anyone to offer a highly tailored search engine. Several weeks ago, SEW correspondent Phil Bradley wrote about customized search offerings from Rollyo, PSI, Yahoo and in Your Search, Your Way
Google's new service is an outgrowth of the Google Co-Op program started earlier this year, according to Ramanathan Guha, Lead Engineer for Google Co-Op. Co-Op was designed to allow users to influence search results in a couple of different ways.
Google's custom search engine
The new Google custom search engine builds on the foundation begun with Google Co-Op. "We are trying to shore up our algorithms with the wisdom of the crowds. We know we are not always the expert in every topic in every domain," said Shashi Seth, Product Lead for the new Custom Search Engine service.
Seth says that Google Co-Op has proved enormously popular both with the organizations annotating content and with users. In the health area alone, Google now has over 35 large partners who have contributed "tens of millions" of annotations, according to Seth.
Despite the enthusiasm for the program, participants complained about the somewhat complex, "developer centric" nature of the program. In making the features easier to use, Google decided to expand, allowing anyone to create a highly specialized search tool, and potentially make money by displaying Google ads along side algorithmic search results.