As Google continues taking over the world, a new rival has emerged with the goal of unseating the 800-pound gorilla in online search.  Wishful thinking?

Google is such a significant force in online search engine technology, it seems unthinkable that any competitor would be so brazen to put them in their cross hairs.  Yet, a new search engine called Cuil is aiming to do just that.

The name "Cuil" (pronounced "cool") is derived from an old Irish word for "knowledge."  The company's founders are ex-Google employees, and they are pursuing a new approach in delivering knowledge to 'net users via search results.  Google's critics have long derided the company for the gradual erosion of its famous "Do no evil" motto.  The search giant has made a habit of repealing its own privacy policies over the years (particularly since their Initial Public Offering in 2004). Chiefly, Google retains usage data so that highly-targeted ads can be delivered alongside search results and on websites with Google AdSense integrated.  This means great results for advertisers, but certainly potential privacy concerns for the average consumer.

Cuil promises to be different; they are making privacy one of their priorities. 

Notable features, as claimed by the company:
  • Biggest Internet search engine—Cuil has indexed 120 billion Web pages, three times more than Google, and ten times more than MSN.
  • Organized results—Cuil’s magazine-style layout separates results by subject and allows further search by concept or category
  • Different results—Unlike other search engines, Cuil ranks results by the content on each page, not its popularity
  • Complete privacy protection—Cuil does not keep any personally identifiable information on users or their search histories
So will users make "Cuil" a verb to replace "search," just as Google did at the turn of the century?  Probably not anytime soon, but rest assured we will be keeping an eye on this new contender to keep our clients' websites prepared for any shift in search market share.

What do you think about this new search engine--is Cuil, well, cool?  Give Cuil a try, and post your comments below.