

Ask YC: Anyone using Google Site Search? - jalammar

I'm researching different alternatives for implementing search in my site. For a while I have been thinking of implementing it using Zend_Search_Lucene. But one interesting alternative seems to be Google Site Search ( http://www.google.com/sitesearch ). It would cost $100 annually (for &#60; 5k pages) and is a bit customizable. Time is a bit of an issue for me, so $100 is preferable to implementing search at this point, I would definitely spend more time on it at some point in the future though.<p>Has anyone tried it out or has anything to say about it? What do you use for search on your site?
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ScottWhigham
I looked at it a few years ago and ultimately just wrote my own. Back then I
had more time than money also...

I've been to sites that use Google Site Search and it's just fine for what
I've wanted. I don't think less of the company or anything - I know Google, I
trust that their search results are good. I'd say it's probably a good idea.

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giardini
Use a JavaScript mashup to do a Google site search by emulating a Google
search of the form

findthis site:mysite.com

So the user enters "findthis" in a form field. On submit your JavaScript
performs an XmlHttpRequest for URL:
[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=findthis+site%3Amys...](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=findthis+site%3Amysite.com&btnG=Google+Search)

and returns the result to the user.

Downside: User's browser must have JavaScript enabled.

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ScottWhigham
All fine and good until Google "catches on". What if they actually don't want
you doing that? I don't know - just asking. What would the potential penalty
be - delisting? Maybe I'm being paranoid but $100/yr vs the risk of "One day
Google may decide to change things..." is worth spending the $100.

