It has been described as starting off where Google failed with its ‘Squared’ structured data and semantic search experiment.

FindTheBest is a ‘comparison engine’ that extracts product information from web sources and adds in human curation to present the user with an easy to use, graphical interface – “stripped of any marketing influence.” In plain English, it allows users to compare similar products and services side by side.

Redesigned last month to look less like a spreadsheet it now presents items in a easy to use, normalised, graphical display, allowing quick comparison of, well, pretty much anything. Immediate examples such as electronics and other consumer products are there, of course, but it also extends its reach into travel, plastic surgery clinics, financial advisors, universities, dog breeds…

Comparing itself (*chuckle*) to travel comparison site, Kayak, FindTheBest uses a combination of human curation and data sourced from public databases, primary sources such as manufacturer websites, and ‘expert sources’ which may include you if you have expertise in a certain area. A team of researchers check entries for accuracy.

For marketers, the site has been able to find out some interesting insights into what influences purchasing decisions. Founder Kevin O’Conner (who also founded ad serving technology DoubleClick, which was bought by Google) told TechCrunch, “We want to tell companies what drives decisions.” For example, the top filter for ski resorts is not height above sea level or average snow fall, its the presence of a ski school for kids.