RealNames was founded in 1996, and is approaching websites via keyword. They're not really a search engine since you don't have to go to RealNames.com to do your search. The model is closer to AOL's keyword system; once you are inside AOL, you can get to various sites by pre-defined keywords, replacing the URL or web address.
RealNames is doing this on the entire internet, not just within one internet service provider. They are currently partnered with MSN, and are therefore most compatible with people using the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser. An example used on the RealNames site is for the New York Times. If you have IE 4.x or later, type into your address bar "NY Times Delivery" without the quotes. You don't get search results or page not found or the RealNames site. After some churning, you actually get the NY Times website on the delivery page. This is accomplished because the New York Times bought the keywords "NY Times Delivery" and have it point to a specific page, allowing people to jump right to that page without remembering its long URL. Is this better than just trying to get people to remember www.nytimes.com and then hope they get to the subscription area? I can't say since I'm not in the NY Times marketing department. But it's interesting!
Where doesn't it work?
Currently, it doesn't work so well in Netscape. When I put "NY Times Delivery" into Netscape 4.7x, I get search results at Netscape.com. I don't have AOL, but it probably doesn't work there since they are running their own keyword system. So this is really for Internet Explorer users OR users of search engines that have partnered with RealNames such as DogPile, MetaCrawler, and LookSmart. When I put "NY Times Delivery" into LookSmart, I received a search results page that first showed me four featured listings: 4insurance, Office Depot, eBay, and another Office Depot link. None of these are the NY Times, nor would they lead me to the NY Times, nor do they even compete with the NY Times. But those are the first things I see. The second thing I see are two "reviewed web sites," which are Fishing and Hunting News Magazine and AGT (a mechanical engineering firm). Again, nothing to do with the NY Times if you ask me! Under those is the following without any special header:
- NY Times Delivery - This Internet Keyword goes directly to the NY Times Delivery site.
