Guruji.Com

Searching desi content: A Case study of Guruji.com Pallavi Upadhyaya Manpreet Singh Abstract: Internet, since its inception has been synonymous with information. As the web is growing at a very fast pace, there is an increasing need for services that provide filtered and focused information. Infomediary sites that provide free information for users and earn revenue through advertising on their site, is on rise. Search engines are infomediaries who provide value to internet users by assisting them to find the right information with minimum effort. With Google as the undisputed leader in the search market, it has been very difficult for the newcomers to get their search share on the internet. This paper discusses how Guruji has positioned itself as a search engine with a focus on Indian content. The paper outlines the search services provided by Guruji and strategies of the company to deal with mushrooming competition. The paper also discusses various methods and techniques used by search engines to ensure its wider reach. Keywords: Search Engine, Infomediary, India, Local search Introduction According to a study by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), there are about 45.3 million active internet users in India as on September 2008. Majority of the users (about 42 million) are urban users, the study revealed. [2]. Searching is the most common activity on the internet after email. Every user spends on an average 20 hours a week browsing the net for data and information, including news. Out of these about 90 per cent of Internet search queries are local in nature. With more and more second and third tier cities catching up in internet accessibility and usage, there is an increasing need for providing local search services and content in local languages. The websites in local language is expected to accelerate the usage of internet by non-urban users. This trend provides huge opportunities for dot com firms to develop country specific niche content. Over

References: 1. Christopher Null, 2009, Optimise your website for search engine, Pcworld.com, March 2009, pg 31-32 (downloaded from EBSCO Publishing database) 2. Internet and Mobile Association of India, 2009, 45 Million Internet Users in India, 27 Jan 2009, http://www.iamai.in/ 3. Internet and Mobile Association of India, 2008, Search Engine Marketing, http://www.iamai.in/Upload/Research/SMEReport_28.pdf 4. Guruji.com, http://www.guruji.com/Press/Localinternetsearchengine.html, 5. Supriya Kurane, 2008, Can they hang on?, Outlook Business, Sep 23, 2008, http://business.outlookindia.com/inner.aspx?articleid=2104&subcatgid=964&editi onid=56&catgid=30