classified search engine vast.com gets a verbal beatdown from publishers

Fri, Mar 24, 2006

This just in via ClickZ: Vast.com and Its Ilk Please Some, Annoy Others.

If you’re not familiar with Vast, they’re in competition with the Oodle’s and Indeed’s of the world. A new vertical search engine for everything online classified.

And they’re apparently ticking off some people.

Citing system drag and “theft,” online classified sites such as Cars.com and Mediabistro would apparently be just fine without vertical search engines spidering their sites. This is nothing new. Oodle got bounced from spidering Craigslist some time ago, and I remember hearing rumors that certain job scraping engines were being blocked by certain ATS providers for the same reason.

I do believe spiders can overtax sites, although to what degree depends on so many variables. I’m sure sites have a legitimate beef.

However, the bigger issue to me is the Chicken Little Complex vertical search is giving traditional online classified sites. Is the sky really falling?

Do you hear CareerBuilder, who uploads a lot of their job content into Google Base, complaining about all the additional traffic since Google integrated Base search into their Web results? They’re probably wondering how long they can ride the wave before a critical mass of others jump in.

Online classified sites should embrace vertical search for what it is: The Future. Embrace the traffic they can generate and learn how to hold an audience once they get them. If spiders are a drag on your site, upload your content directly. Evolve.

It’s human nature to put up walls when threatened. That’s understandable. However, the vertical search phenomenon is much more Close Encounters than War of the Worlds.

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This post was written by:

Joel Cheesman - who has written 1278 posts on Cheezhead.

One of the most widely-read bloggers on emerging recruitment issues in the world. Accomplishments include being named Recruiting.com’s Best Technology Recruitment Blog and Best Recruiting Blog. Joel's been featured in Fast Company magazine, BusinessWeek Magazine, Resumes for Dummies, U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal and more. Plug into Joel via Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, iTunes, YouTube or Flickr.

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1 Comments For This Post

Marc Drees Says:
March 25th, 2006 at 10:02 am

Let’s take an alternative perspective: Vertical search has NO FUTURE.

Why? Two reasons:
1. Online classified sites already hold too many jobs to allow jobseekers to effectively look for jobs, there are simply too many results for any job search performed. Vertical search only worsens this scenario

2. Vertical search engines provide yet another channel through which recruiters receive applications. Still more resumes to wade through.

Jobseekers and recruiters alike have nothing to gain by using vertical search. Simply because it lacks any real value.

Marc Drees Says:
March 25th, 2006 at 10:02 am
Let’s take an alternative perspective: Vertical search has NO FUTURE.

Why? Two reasons:
1. Online classified sites already hold too many jobs to allow jobseekers to effectively look for jobs, there are simply too many results for any job search performed. Vertical search only worsens this scenario

2. Vertical search engines provide yet another channel through which recruiters receive applications. Still more resumes to wade through.

Jobseekers and recruiters alike have nothing to gain by using vertical search. Simply because it lacks any real value.

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