FindTheBest Succeeds Where Google Squared Failed

During his written responses to questions from the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt identified a range of competitors that Google faces in the market today. Some were well-known and some more obscure. One of the smaller companies that Schmidt mentioned was FindTheBest. He identified the company in a list of […]

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During his written responses to questions from the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt identified a range of competitors that Google faces in the market today. Some were well-known and some more obscure. One of the smaller companies that Schmidt mentioned was FindTheBest. He identified the company in a list of “vertical search” providers:

We do not have to speculate as to whether there are new entrants in vertical search services such as comparison shopping and local search and review sites. There are new entrants in these market segments all the time. A new comparison shopping site, FindTheBest, launched by the co-founder of DoubleClick last year, just raised $6 million in venture funding over the summer.

FindTheBest, call it a “decision engine” or “comparison engine” if you like, allows users to see detailed, side-by-side information about an increasing range of things from financial advisors and colleges to smartphones and ski vacation spots. It’s what Google aspired to create on an automated basis with Google Squared but was unable to do.

Screen Shot 2011 12 07 At 9.44.45 AM

Today the site has introduced a much improved redesign and user interface that makes it considerably more usable than it was before. The site had great data in the past but was too cluttered and complex to use. Now the streamlined interface will enable it to attract many more users and much more mainstream attention.

Screen Shot 2011 12 07 At 9.42.57 AM

FindTheBest has an algorithm that mashes up user and expert ratings on products, services and institutions. It’s a kind of next-generation consumer reports. Currently the company monetizes with display ads at the margins of its pages. But it’s likely to be acquired before it needs to truly worry about monetization, given all the data and content that it’s compiling.

The company previously raised $6 million in VC funding, as Eric Schmidt mentioned in his Senate testimony.

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About the author

Greg Sterling
Contributor
Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land, a member of the programming team for SMX events and the VP, Market Insights at Uberall.

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