Heads or tails? Jim Lanzone discusses how Ask.com mines search data to understand what matters to users, identify revenue sources, and develop new products.

There are several data points used to capture the relevant trends. For instance, over a million feeds have at least one subscriber but fewer than 700 have more than 1000 subscribers; billions of documents are indexed but only 6 million get 50% of the clicks; 70% of search revenue is made on 30% of the searches.

Search engines add new features to keep users happy by anticipating their needs. Ask looks at direct market intelligence drawn from search queries in the head to build what people have already shown they want. Similarly, they look at the hottest verticals or topic areas in the head for product inspiration. Revenue is also driven by the head. Queries in the head using fewer search terms are easier for advertisers to match, creating more competition and higher prices for clicks.

Lanzone gives a quick explanation of how search has evolved beyond the "build it and they will come" business model. The users are already here and search engines are now building to keep them coming back for more of what they have already shown they want.