Google. It’s a noun. It’s even a verb, for God’s sake! It’s the sweetheart brand that continues to revolutionize the way we digest a large amount of information. They have the largest search market share (46.3%). They are redefining vertical, geographical and horizontal diversification. They have limitless funds, genius, energy and clout. So, how is it possible for Google to be outdone by one of the smallest (2.3% market share) search engines?

The answer is not money, clout, or brand. The answer is: user experience. Ask.com has figured out that there are three types of users: 1. those who know what they are looking for and find it, 2. those who think they know what they are looking for and can’t find it, and those whose inquiry is satisfied with a collection of sites.

Google is a great tool for one of those three users: the ones that know what they are looking for and find it. Users that think they know what they are looking for and can’t find it are completely out of luck using Google search. And as for the users whose inquiry is not answered by the information found in one site – well, there is always del.icio.us.

In contrast, Ask.com allows users who know what they are looking for to find it just as easy as Google – well, with one MAJOR difference: you can preview the site before going to it. Using Google, people have to go to the site, find out it’s not the one they were looking for, hit the back button and start again. Some people even open sites from their search results in new windows to avoid having to click the back button.

For people that think they know what they want but can’t find it, Ask.com offers them the opportunity to narrow or widen their search. That alone is not all that revolutionary – what’s interesting about what they have done is how they have contextually exposed their controlled vocabulary. This allows users to narrow or widen their search with terminology that more closely aligns with what they are really trying to find. It’s like getting bumped into the right groove.

Finally, the most impressive thing that Ask.com has done to shame Google is the del.icio.us-like functionality layered over their search results, allowing users to hunt, gather, and tag their own taxonomy over their search results subset. Brilliant!

I revealed Ask.com to my class last night. These guys have the deepest loyalty to Google – and after I was done showing them what Ask.com was doing, about 30% of them said they were going to switch. I too have switched.

Google got caught with its pants down and I am curious to see what their next move will be. Stay tunned!