Search quality report/research

{out of focus Taurus @ ~7AM in the front yard}

Looking at the quality of our results at Mahalo I’m thinking we would beat, when we have a result, Google, Yahoo, Ask, and MSN hands down. This make sense since our Guides start working when those search engines stop. If we spend four to ten hours building the Paris Hotels page it BETTER be MUCH BETTER than simple machine search.

Is there a firm out there who tests search quality? I’d love to see an indepandent study of search result quality in which they took out the logos, the design, and just listed the links, as well as putting the results next to each other with the full on design.

Anyone know a firm that might do this, or one that is doing it?

Note: I did read the compete study here, but it’s based on clicks not ratings from users. I think clicks are interesting, but I think having folks actually rate the results and say why they liked certain ones would be more interesting.

{Fondue and Taurus, again, a little out of focus with the iPhone}