Dogpile, a name that might conjure up images of the last time you strolled through a busy park, has a rich history as a metasearch engine. Established in 1996 by Aaron Flin, a research attorney, Dogpile was born out of frustration with the search engines of the time. Flin was dissatisfied with the cluttered and often limited search results they provided. Thus, Dogpile was designed to aggregate multiple search indexes to present more organized and relevant results. Go2Net acquired Dogpile in 1999, which later merged with InfoSpace, making Dogpile the flagship engine of InfoSpace.
Dogpile continues its legacy by fetching results through its mascot Arfie. Arfie compiles search results from Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and other search engines. Users can conduct searches across various categories, including Web, Images, Audio, Video, News, Yellow Pages, and White Pages. The platform has also evolved to include new features that are keeping pace with the modern user’s needs.
Key Features of Dogpile:
- Comparison View: With Dogpile, users can select which indexes to perform a search under, using the Comparison View. This feature highlights the sources of the search results, and Arfie ensures duplicates are removed for a more streamlined experience.
- Pay-for-Inclusion Service: If you want your website to be listed on Dogpile, you can opt for its pay-for-inclusion service. However, since Dogpile fetches its results from other search engines, optimizing your site with SEO services can also get it listed for free. Listing your site with the pay-for-inclusion service ensures faster inclusion, typically within 72 hours.
- Toolbar with Integrated News Feeds: Dogpile’s toolbar can be customized to include an RSS ticker, allowing users to stay up to date with the latest news feeds of their choice.
- Popular Searches Page: This feature showcases the most popular searches on Dogpile, categorized as a directory. Categories include Arts and Entertainment, Computers & Internet, Games, and more.
- Recent Searches Feature: Users can view their recent searches, with the option to clear or hide this history.
- Advanced Search Options: To refine searches, users can use the ‘Advanced Search’ feature which allows them to:
- Specify exact words or phrases.
- Set a date range for when the original content was published.
- Choose the language of the search results, including Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish.
- Filter specific domain names and set content filters to exclude or include adult content.
Dogpile persists as a valuable metasearch engine for users looking to gather information from various sources. Website owners and marketers should consider optimizing their websites not just for the primary search engines but also for metasearch engines like Dogpile, as it can enhance visibility and reach to a broader audience.
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