p2b.net Search Engine

theplacetobe.net has installed and configured Google Search Appliance to offer three new applications:

• p2b.net: a search engine that offers one point to access all the partner's sites, as well as many more local sites;
• High quality search facilities for partner sites;
• Search-based information-sharing between partners.

About the Google Search Appliance

The Google Search Appliance [GSA] is hosted by local ISP Mistral. Access is via a browser interface, through which the administrator can add the URL os web pages to be included in the search engine index. The administrator can also create cpollections of information within the index , such as all the results with aparticular address or a number of addresses.

This is how it can be used to provide search on each partner site - they all have their own collection. The collections are also used to create the sub-sites within the search engine, such as the health collection or jobs.

At the core of the GSA is the Google algorithm. Administrators cannot access this or influence the ranking - this relies on optimising the content in the same way as any other search engine optimisation. The benefit of this is that optimising content for p2b.net also optmises it in Google.

Administrators can add manual matching, so that popular search terms can be matched with the most relevant links without relying on the search engine to present it as the top finding. The screens for this are simple to use and access can be restricted so that partners manage their own content without affecting the other users of the GSA.

As with any technology-solution the GSA does have limitations, including the licensing model and the fact that it is not designed specifically for our use of it. Overall, however, it is 100% reliable and has provided a fast track for the development of the project.

The p2b.net Search Engine site

The core site is www.p2b.net, which provides access to content from all the partners, plus a growing network of local sites. It also offers a number of more focused searches, such as Adult Learning, Health and Jobs.

Search on partner sites

The Google Search Appliance now powers the search facilities on six of the eight partner sites - searching their own site and delivering high quality results on some of the most important local sites. This provides a high quality search facility and has helped develop the use of search as a way of navigating the partner's sites.

You can see how this works by searching on the City Council or Wired Sussex websites.

New search-based applications

Partners have also started using the power of the technology to create new applications. The University of Brighton, for example, has created Re:Search, which can search across the University's site for research-related information. This is proving popular both with people looking for research information from outside the University as well as the academic community within it.

Work is also underway with the Brighton & Hove Learning Partnership to extend the use of the search engine into the local network of training and learning providers. This has started with the creation of the Adult Learning part of p2b.net and will continue as we add search results into the Learning Partnership's own site.

Adding to the search network

The network of content currently includes all the partner's sites plus a growing network of local sites. This is being added in an organic way, in response to the needs of users and requests from lcoal site owners who want to be in the search engine. There will be no charge for being in the search engine but the partners are developing policies about the quality of information held in the search engine, as well rules abpout what is appropriate, such as not including adult content.

Click here if you want your web site added to the search engine.

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