Google PageRank versus Microsoft BrowserRank

A research paper delivered at a conference in Singapore, highlights Microsoft Asia Research's alternative to Google's PageRank algorithm, BrowserRank. The new process, in theory, ranks sites based on their usage, and user behavior patterns.

Google's algorithmic stew for rankings remains a great mystery, and an ever changing set of goalposts that are constantly gamed by companies looking to leverage search results to drive traffic, and drive revenues. Microsoft sees Google's strength in this regard as being its weakness, too, arguing that web developers have many opportunities to influence the ranking system, unfairly. BrowserRank, on the other hand, would actually try and take a look at user behavior on a site, Microsoft arguing that the more people are engaged by a site, the more likely it is that it has relevance.

The pdf of the original research paper can be found here . BrowserRank seems to be a finesse approach to page rankins in search, while PageRank goes for volume. Does Microsoft have a version 1, 2, and 3 of search in the offering? We know that it is only on version 3 that Redmond kind of manages to play the game as it ought to be played.

Source:→ TG Daily