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Google offers personal searches

A bespoke search engine that can be included on people's websites or blogs is the latest offering from Google.

Google search homepage
Users can generate cash from
their custom search engines

Google Custom Search Engine, as the tool is known, allows users to choose which webpages to search.

Users can also customise the look of results, how web content is prioritised or add paying adverts to the results.

Groups using the program include climate science site RealClimate.org that searches a subset of the web it believes is scientifically credible.

Focused search

"RealClimate.org is a site that tries to give credible expert opinion on the science of climate change," said Dr Gavin Schmidt, a climate modeller at the Nasa Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York and a member of the organisation.

"Unfortunately, since this topical subject has become rather politicised, the quality of information available on the web is very variable."

The custom engine on the organisation's website only searches pages that have been scrutinised by climate scientists and are deemed to provide "solid and reliable information".

"Hopefully, it will allow users to get to the good stuff faster, without some of the confusion that currently occurs," said Dr Schmidt.

Users wanting to make use of the tool log on to a Google "Co-op" page where they can specify a list of websites to search.

The search engine can be set up to search the entire web but emphasise the chosen sites, or search only the specified pages.

The custom application can also be used to create a search engine that just focuses on a person's own site.

Cashing in

Users can also specify whether or not the tool uses the Google AdSense program to generate advertisements from search terms.

Advertisers pay Google every time someone clicks on these adverts.

In turn, users who choose to use Adsense on their custom search engines will also receive a "portion" of the amount paid to Google.

Organisations like RealClimate.org for example do not use Adsense.

The search engine does not disclose the exact amount users will receive. However if an "earned balance" is less than $10 (£5) Google will not pay up.

Early adopters of the application include dedicated Apple magazine Macworld and JumpUp.com that provides resources for small businesses.

"We want to make it easy for anyone to create a search engine about all of their favourite topics," said Marissa Mayer, vice president of search products and user experience at Google.

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