This had never really occurred to me, not being much of a blogger myself, but with so many blogs on so many topics, it must be very useful to be able to search specifically blogs for certain topic threads and content. My first quick search brought me to a very good website:
http://www.searchenginejournal.com/blog-search-engines-the-complete-overview/7856/
This looks at four different blog search engines: Google Blog Search, Technorati, Blog Pulse, and Blog Lines, comparing and contrasting their different search techniques. Unfortunately, Blog Lines is shutting down as of October 1, 2010. I've never looked at it while it was fully functional, but it looks to be very professional, offering lots of options. It was also the first blog search engine created, dating way back to 2003.
Of the remaining three contenders, I have to admit, I like Google Blog Search the least. It's very Googley, in that you get a plain screen with a bunch of results, list-style. Compared to BlogPulse and Technorati, though, it feels awfully stripped-down, since they're both teeming with options, menus, and advanced content, like BlogPulse's Top Links/Videos/Phrases along with Top Blogs, and Technorati's tag clouds and incorporation of other Web 2.0 content. Technorati is, so far, my favorite. I find it easy to both search and browse (I'm really into browsing, which is part of why Google Blog Search was so disappointing), and the vast array of menu options let you narrow down your topic before you even begin searching in earnest. BlogPulse has a lot of that, as well, but it's spread out more, and involves more page-scanning to pick out all the available options. While I can see how this could be overwhelming for people who want a straightforward search, I like menus and options and alternate content, so in the future I'll probably rely on Technorati, and possibly BlogPulse, for my blog-searching needs.
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