Best SEO Blog|Launch your site.

Given my affinity for the interweb and my current career path, I am constantly correcting people when they say that they “assume” I Google.

In fact, I don’t Google.

Compete.com has compiled their latest search engine market share data from October and even though Google still dominates when it comes to usage, it isn’t my favorite by a long shot. This surprises people.

Their second guess is usually Yahoo!, but I shake my head “no” for that answer as well.

MSN? I baffle them again.

Ask.

Ask?? Like Ask Jeeves? The one with the butler guy? Indeed. While it’s true that I never once entertained their search engine as AskJeeves, after their re-branding they piqued my curiosity. I increased my usage of it by at least 600% within the last two years and have watched it grow from something so-so, to my favorite. I would venture to say that Ask.com is one of my BFF’s at this point.

Why? Because it is hands down- the most humanly intuitive search engine. I know that from an SEO standpoint it’s all about formulas of this that and the other. I know. I do it. Every day of life. Some folks have a hard time optimizing sites for Ask and they ask me how I can get the results that I do. It’s easy. I optimize for humans. I use human logic and search psychology and apply it to the content and layouts of my sites, and Ask eats it up.

Their universal search is laid out well from a usability standpoint. Well, hello roll-over thumbnail image and video previews! Hello dictionary with audio sample. Their “Narrow Your Search” function on the left is beautifully thought out and I believe is based partly on lateral search patterns of past users and partly popularity of content. From an SEO standpoint, you can start your negative keyword research right there. Right down to the limited selection (but at least available) custom interface skin. PS - their mapping function is pretty rad too.

If you want to do well in Ask’s search results, you need to only optimize as LOGICALLY as possible.

So, given my fascination with human psychology, specifically as it relates to search, I think that Ask has done a great job with covering their bases. Will they ever be #1? No. Why? Look how many people are still using AOL as their internet provider!

But they are my search engine of choice, and I’m making as many converts as possible.