SAN FRANCISCO - YAHOO has enhanced its Internet search service as it continues its quest to dethrone Google, the market's reigning king.

Yahoo said new 'Search Assist' software intuitively figures out what people are looking for based on words entered in queries and provides suggestions intended to help people pinpoint searches. Audio, video and pictures available online are displayed on search result pages along with website links, according to the California-based firm.

'We know that consumers want a complete answer, not a bunch of links, and the changes we've made are focused on getting people to the best answer in one search,' said Yahoo Search senior vice president Vish Makhijani.

A Harris Interactive poll sponsored by Yahoo indicates many Internet users suffer from 'Web search fatigue', or frustration caused by not being able to easily find what they want online. The study concludes that while search engines are used by nearly every adult on the Internet, only 15 per cent of those people find what they are looking for in a single try.

Most people need to conduct three or four searches before being satisfied, according to the poll. Yahoo's new search features are available to US users and will be rolled out in the United Kingdom 'in the near future', according to the company.

Last week, Microsoft began phasing in a slick new version of its Live Search service in a bid to gain ground on leading Internet search rivals Google and Yahoo. Microsoft's improved Live Search is available in the United States and will be in service globally by the end of October, according to vice president of search and advertising platform group Satya Nadella.

'This time, we feel we can claim we are as good as Google,' Nadella said.

Google is the world's most popular Internet search engine. Yahoo ranks second. Live, which replaced Microsoft's MSN search service in 2006, has been mired in distant third place.

Search firms need to innovate to stay competitive, but face a hurdle when it comes to getting Internet users to break habits or switch loyalties regarding search engines, according to analysts. -- AFP