Study predicts rise of semantic search
Semantic search will dominate the search engine sector over the next 12 months, a new study has suggested.
StrategyEye Digital Media polled more than 200 decision-makers at a range of companies operating in the digital industry, with almost 80 per cent those working in search pointing to the semantic web as a key area of focus for search companies.
The semantic web has been targeted by companies such as Microsoft - which acquired natural language technology provider Powerset earlier this year - looking to make search results more relevant for users.
However, the medium could come with its challenges in the short-term, StrategyEye warned.
"Over the longer-term, semantic search technologies will become a reality if the trade off between the cost of scaling the platform and the monetisation potential can be balanced," it added.
According to Microsoft, irrelevant search results can occur when there are differences between users’ search queries and the way in which these concepts are expressed on web pages, a problem that could be overcome with semantic technology.
