A meta search engine is a type of search tool which allows the user to send search requests to other search engines or databases. The search results are then compiled into a single list and displayed as per their source. To know more about such applications, we need to have an idea of how a meta search engine works and its benefits.

Today with the advent of technology and other advanced web based applications, the popularity of meta search engines is gradually increasing all across the globe. The main advantage of such applications is that they enable the user to get a comprehensive range of data by compiling the results from a number of search engines. By using such tools, one can easily get the top ranked results from a combination of search engines. This not only provides the best searches to the user but also saves time.

Unlike normal search engines, meta search engines do not store any information or details about sites on the web. When the user puts the search request, the advanced software submits it to a number of search engines collectively and displays the results to the user in a comprehensive manner. The list of the results that is displayed is known as virtual database.

In order to search for results, a meta search engine also tries to get answers by analyzing the meta tags of web sites. There are plenty of information in the meta tags (in the form of programs or embedded codes) that a normal net surfer is not able to get. The advanced software of meta engines crawls through such meta tags and obtains necessary information that is pertinent to the search query. Based on the information, the site is listed in the search results.

There are quite a few meta search engines that are available on the web. They have different features and uses. While some provide results as per the type of search engines, others may provide results according to the relevance of the search topic. As such you need to choose the correct one based on your needs and preferences. Some of the top meta search engines are:

* mamma.com
* dogpile.com
* ixquick.com
* metacrawler.com
* webcrawler.com

By providing comprehensive results to the user, meta search engines have made the concept of web search simpler and convenient.