“Search Assist” is one of the latest integrated functions of Yahoo that assists users with finding what they want, faster. Their research has shown that Yahoo users generally form query chains, with three to five reformulations of a query. After two or three unsuccessful attempts, users generally feel like it is their own fault for not being specific enough.
Yahoo’s Search Assist operates in the background and monitors keystroke speed. When a user slows down their typing, Search Assist will employ a drop down bar and suggest similar query strings that may be related to the user’s topic. A number of other search engines use this same type of function to assist users. Yahoo’s function is different in that it does not stay on the page all of the time. Instead, its implementation is based on the speed of the user’s keystrokes. An example, type in ‘John’ and then ‘Den’ and pause, Search Assist will think you are stuck and drop down some suggestions to complete your search.
