Search is about recall and precision.
Traditional Web search is “horizontal” : complex algorithms, immense processing power, vast data centers, and even human editorial involvement are used in an attempt to span all sources to respond to queries.
These resources are used to “recall” all possible relevant links. The majority of the results produced are information resources and links to websites, rather than specific content. The user is faced with clicking through page after page of results. Broadband connections and powerful personal computers with large screens help make horizontal search useful, though often imprecise and labor intensive.
Mobile search demands a different level of precision.
Mobile, “on the go” users conduct their searches with less powerful, small screen devices and must deal with network limitations. They face an entirely different challenge and have different goals: 85% of the time they’re shopping for content they can consume on their phone. Results must be precise or the content simply won’t be discovered and consumed. Long click distances and click fatigue kill content discovery. The experience is frustrating for users and threatens revenue opportunities for mobile operators and content providers alike.
Vertical search satisfies the mobile user.
MCN real-time Federated search achieves the highest level of precision in the mobile ecosystem by connecting deep into the most relevant “vertical” content channels, including music, games, images, video, shopping, local, etc. Users connect far faster—in 2-3 clicks—to the content managed by experts in each of these relevant vertical channels while MCN patented algorithms group, sort, and rank the most relevant results into a “Top 5” and return actual content that users can act upon instantly.
Vertical search drives revenues.
Together with new vertical PPC-based paid search programs like MCN allwords(sm), MCN-powered vertical search complements broad “horizontal” solutions and delivers the mobile industry’s highest clickthrus and conversions for content providers and distribution partners.
