Features

Since AOL Search Data was released at the beginning of August (see KDnuggets News 06:n15, item 6) a huge controversy over privacy has erupted, leading to the resignation of AOL CTO (see item 3 in this issue).

Although AOL has removed this (and other, less controversial data) from their website, copies have are available on the web (see below).

The new KDnuggets poll is focusing on whether it is OK/ethical to analyze this AOL Search Data?

Please see the question and vote on www.kdnuggets.com/.

This topic was also covered in a recent New York Times article (see item 4 in this issue), with many researchers reluctant to use the data.

For background, here are some "black-hat" sites that already use AOL data:

• New Keyword Suggestion Tool Uses AOL Data , estimates the volume of traffic you can expect for a given query based on the AOL data.

• SEOBLACKHAT Tool Uses AOL Data For Search Term Research uses AOL data, Hitwise figures and Overture's suggestion tool to figure out the search volume and click-through rate you can expect from a search phrase at the various search engines.

• Blue Hat SEO comment on searching AOL data.