Ask.com for Answers to Questions

Ask.com has always been a slightly different type of search engine. Beginning with the butler Jeeves, through several transitions which did not improve market share, the latest rendition of Ask.com wants to reinvent the question and answer engine.

You will ask a question and the answers displayed will be ranked by algorithms, not by page rank or other SEO tools. In addition to traditional search search technology, the engine will tap into a network of people to provide answers in real time.

Ask Reimagines Search, Adds Relevance Algorithms, Real-Time Capabilities
The revamped engine required new sets of algorithms, such as question pattern-matching that can identify the type of question by its structure. The algorithm identifies a how question as having a different format than a when question. The when looks similar to data, while the how question looks similar to an exclamation,
So, we may have a search engine that actually answers the questions we have, regardless of keywords, paid insertions or PPC bids. This could signal the start of a improvement in search that goes far beyond the G@@gle.