Scour.com - A Combined Search Engine That Pays You to Search
July 26, 2008 - Written by Gyutae Park
A few days ago, I predicted that Google would buy up Digg and incorporate voting into its search algorithm. That deal is dead for now, but I still think it’s a possibility in the future. However, regardless of who buys what, social media and user voting will become a major factor in the search industry - no doubt about it. It’s just a matter of how soon.
Here’s a preview of user voting in search results from an unlikely candidate…
Scour.com is a relatively new “search engine” that aggregates the search results of the major players - Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Scour aggregates the data and ranks each result based on positions in each of the 3 engines as well as user votes and recommendations placed on the site itself.
I don’t really expect huge things out of Scour, but it’s interesting for 2 reasons: one, the voting component of the system may offer a preview of what’s to come in the industry, and two , Scour is giving away points to users just for searching, voting, commenting, and inviting friends. After earning 6,500 points, users can claim a $25 Visa gift card. Not bad for doing something you’ve already been doing anyway. Will it entice you to actually use the service?
Let’s take a look at how it all works. Below is a screen shot for a search on Scour. As you can see, rankings on Scour are a function of rankings on Google, Yahoo, and MSN and user votes and comments.
Now I don’t know about you, but the search results on Scour look a bit funky to me. Why should a site be ranked at #3 because its #2 on Yahoo but doesn’t even show up in the top 10 for Google and MSN? I use Google to search online and there’s a reason for that - it offers the most relevant results. I don’t usually want Yahoo and MSN mixed in. There’s a way to filter by each engine but that takes an extra click.
Honestly, I like the idea of Scour, but I don’t know if the extra pocket change is worth changing my daily habits for. As an SEO, I use search A LOT. I’ll test out Scour for a couple weeks and see how it goes. I suggest you do the same.
As for earning points and money, here’s a list of how it works.
- Searches - 1 point
- Votes - 2 points
- Comments - 3 points
- Refer a friend - 25% of all their points
Using Scour on a daily basis won’t make you rich, but it might be a good way to pick up some extra cash for doing something that you already do online. There’s a drop in usability compared to using Google or Yahoo directly, but if you can deal with that, it might be worth trying out.
I won’t say that Scour is the next big search engine (it isn’t), but it’s an interesting idea that aggregates what’s already out there and pays you to use it.
Try it out. Sign up for Scour.com. <- Yes, that’s an affiliate link.
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Hehehe, all of them are affiliate links
Anyways, I don’t really think that Scour will be that successful, it’s just going to be Algoco all over again.
Interesting post Gyutae. I wonder if this new Scour.com has any relation to the Scour search engine for music quite a number of years ago?
On another note: I think Google has toyed with experimental Digg-like features before.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/14/google-bucket-testing-new-digg-like-search-interface/
Gyutae, nice post. Reading through the post, I started to think about Agloco (which was also mentioned by Rajaie) which got a lot of people excited and died a very quick death. As you mentioned, it doesn’t look like something that will make you a lot of money but it will get you something. It will work out well for some but not for others. I don’t think it is for me, I will be boring and stick to the search engines I usually use, Google and Yahoo! I will stop by Scour and take a look and may even post about it.
Scour was a very interesting idea but I don’t think it will be successful in the long run.
Some peoples say that it is scam…I’m interesting to try though. But I must admit that moving from Google is not easy. It is just like a stamp in my mind that whenever I need to do research my finger type Goo…
Smacks of algoco, excellent promotion but poor execution.
I read many articles about it and I think it’s not good idea make money with Scour system!
Finally I decided register to Scour. But reaching 6500 points only by searching is too hard. Meanwhile, refer a friend is extra time. So recently I back to Google again
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Try http://www.leapways.com for job and career services.
Scour is a SCAM! Scour bans users when it comes to cashout/payout. THEY DONT PAY A PENNY! & They haven’t paid a penny yet!
Dont waste your time coz I did.
I think the site is getting a little popular. It is actually a very good site, i like the videos and the searches are good. It is true, you get paid for something you normally do, but i admit 6500 points……wow thats a big margin. I referred 5 of my friends who are earning some points which i have earned about 50 from them, hopefully i can get the 25$ gift certificate eventually
Thought I will add my experience to the brief review available for Scour.com:
Ac correctly mentioned, the portal shares the money made through searches/clicks etc with the members. Noble ideas, but suspect ethics.
Fairness is something that the site does not pride itself for, quite strange for a website in today’s scenario. They have recently decided that the manner of payouts should be different for different localities: Members from US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Spain get $25 for 6.5K points while people from the “non-preferred” regions like Asia need to work 38 times harder - for them 250,000 points are worth $25. I had posted a comment protesting the same, but the administrators apparently decided that they don’t need to publish truth if it is inconvenient. Hence posting the same here also to provide visibility for the website policies:
== Start Comment =
Rahul Raj // September 5, 2008 at 7:33 am
I had an invite from a close friend sitting in my inbox for about a month. Today when I decided to follow the link to Scour.com, it looked like a great website. The idea made so much sense that I invited around 75 of my friends, not realizing that a fine print has been added on the top right.
To say that the stand taken is DISAPPOINTING is trying to put it verrry mildly. A comparison of 6,500 points = $25 and 250,000 points = $25 is a ratio of around 1:40. All animals are equal but some animals are 40 times more equal than others???
Obviously, I would not be making use of scour anymore, and now I am left with the onerous task of mailing all the people that I had invited to desist from using the site as it is grossly unfair and that is reason enough to steer clear of the portal.
At the same time, the fairness, or the lack of it is subjective, as will be contested by the “Haves” and the “Have-nots” - refer above where we have people trying to justify “unfairness” as the price of belonging to the same group. The person must have come from a community where the entire family is jailed when the youngest child breaks the neighbour’s window pane; but then people are entitled to their opinions, even if they are as reprehensible as justifying group level action when the system is not competent enough to differentiate.
At the same time, Scour.com is free to make any rules, reprehensible or not and it is the duty of the people signing up to ensure that they read he rules and agree to it. Since I do find unfairness patently disagreeable, I admit my mistake in signing up, and will identify mechanisms to close the account. Also, will ensure that the changes in the rules and the ramifications gain the visibility that they deserve to ensure that people in the “Other Regions” have enough warning so thta they do not feel cheated once they are on board.
Signing off,
TaDa.
Your comment is awaiting moderation. (This last line was put when I had submitted the comment - It never made the light of the day! Thankfully, I had saved a copy of the page.)
== End Comment