As the Google competition issues rumble on, various commentators have been grappling with the concept of general versus vertical search. Here at Keplar we have some thoughts on the rise of vertical search and its implications for Google, but we are aware that many people out there don’t yet know what vertical search is, or why it’s important. In this blog post we aim to nail down exactly what vertical search is, so that we can comment more widely on the emerging trends in future posts.
To begin with a definition: unlike a general Web search engine like Google or Bing, a vertical search engine focuses on a specific segment of content. Users visit these vertical search sites to conduct a specialised search for a specific genre of content or category of product. The most commonly known vertical search engines are the price comparison sites, like Kayak or Moneysupermarket.com, where consumers can enter their specific requirements and find a holiday or an insurance deal or similar.
