A visual search engine allows users to search for images based on a keyword, returning a mass of images that refer to the site of origin. It is more interactive than text search engines and requires a plugin to function properly. Users can customize searches and find new websites through the images.
A visual search engine is similar to a text search engine in that it allows users to search by a keyword and returns results relevant to that keyword. The difference is that a visual search engine does not return text links as a text search engine would; instead it returns a mass of images that refer to the site of origin. Visual search engines are mostly web-based programs, but usually a plugin is required for the search engine to function properly. There are various ways to view images, and unlike text search engines that show links based on algorithms and keyword usage, these search engines allow users to search for images in a variety of ways.
Search engines are used by internet users to track down a relevant image or website based on a keyword. In the case of visual search engines, the user searches more for an image than for a website. Visual search engines are also more interactive than text search engines, even though the text search engine has an image search. A visual search engine finds images by examining the tags website developers use for their images, then returns all images relevant to the keyword.
Just like their text-based counterparts, visual search engines are typically web-based or will work in an internet browser. Some visual search engine platforms are software-based or desktop-based, but these are rare. A media plugin is usually required for these search engines to work, due to the interactivity, but the plugin is usually free and easy to install. Those that don’t need plug-ins are generally less interactive.
While a visual search engine aims to find images, it also discovers the link between the image and the source website. This means that users can find an interesting image and then link to the website it came from. In this way, visual and text search engines are the same, because they are made to help users find new websites.
There are many different ways to display images in a visual search engine. The images can be on a three-dimensional (3D) cube or in a map, stack, list, cloud, or any of many other arrangements. Users can also customize searches by asking the visual search engine to find images based on date, domain, rating, or other factors. This differs from a text search engine, where links are organized based only on algorithms and keyword usage, and users have little interactivity with the arrangement of links.
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