StumbleUpon: The Antithesis of Google?

With over 3.5 million registered users (up from 600,000 two years ago), StumbleUpon has left the techie niche and has become mainstream. But unlike Google which makes its billions from helping you find what you're looking for, StumbleUpon helps you discover content that you may not be looking for but will probably find interesting.

How Google Works

If you look at Google, it seems that the site is laid out so that you can visit the search page, type in a query, and click the result that best fits your need. So in most cases (and if Google works according to plan), you don't even spend a whole minute on Google before leaving for the site you were looking for. In a way, there is a conflict of interest at Google: the better the search engine, the quicker you find what you're looking for, and the less time (per query) you actually spend on Google.

How StumbleUpon Works

Unlike at Google, StumbleUpon doesn't help you find something specific that you may be looking for, rather it helps you discover new content (often content you didn't know existed) based on your general preferences. Furthermore, the more you use the StumbleUpon toolbar, the better it understands your interests and what specifically appeals to you within your interests, and the better the pages the toolbar sends you. In effect, the toolbar gives you a reason to use it frequently because that will make it improve, and over time, you want to use it more frequently because you enjoy the content you discover.

ms_stumbleye.png

To be fair, Google also has similar functionality with Google Web History, but most people I know aren't using that because of the privacy issues involved. Web history aims to deliver more relevant results by recording every single website you visit and every single query you conduct (through Google). StumbleUpon, on the other hand, works based on the category and tag surfing/submitting habits of you and your friends.

The Google Business Model

A majority of Google's earnings are dependent on a single source: revenue from advertisements. By serving up ads next to search queries, and making sure that the ads are contextually relevant, Google hopes that if the ad is relevant enough, you will click on the ads to visit the featured service/content instead. One issue with this is that many tech-savvy people are either simply blind to these ads or block them using Ad-Block Plus (not to imply that this is making a significant dent in Google's pocket).

The StumbleUpon Business Model

Just like Google, StumbleUpon also relies on a revenue model that relies on contextually advertising other people's content next to freely served content. However, advertisers can choose the exact demographic that their content appeals to and based on your Stumbling habits (i.e. if the content is something that you would even normally be interested in), the advertiser's content will be served to you along with your regular Stumbling. Unlike Google, where ads are contextualized to a single query, content marketed through StumbleUpon takes into account your general Stumbling history (i.e. what categories and tags you like to Stumble and so on).

The model is better for advertisers as well as the users. For advertisers, it is good because there is no action required on the part of the users (i.e. they don't have to specifically click on an ad). The advertised pages are served up just as other content, and in fact, StumbleUpon recommends that you use regular content pages to market yourself rather than ad-pages. As for users, this model is good because the more you use StumbleUpon, the better the toolbar understands you and will serve you relevant, advertised content pages. In fact, even though there is an option to pay and opt-out of advertised content, I have yet to encounter content that I thought was blatantly spammy/advertised and not relevant.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the people behind StumbleUpon have managed to create a service that is incredibly sticky (in terms of people enjoy using it daily and for hours) and a great marketing platform at the same time. The service avoids the pitfalls of other services like Digg by avoiding ads and directly marketing content to the users. The fact that you can even rate the marketed content makes sure that this will also improve over time.

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Reader Comments (222)

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Caroline Middlebrook, October 8, 2007

This is very true. I've been experimenting with SU quite a lot recently and I've started using it like a search engine more and more. You just know that you can't possibly get spammy sites back in the results because nobody would give them thumbs up. On the other hand, for it to work well you need to have 'trained' the StumbleUpon toolbar quite well so it's not so good if you're brand new at SU.

Greg O'Byrne, October 8, 2007

I compared it to Digg over here: http://www.techrivet.com/2007/05/10/DiggIsBrokenVirtualShrodingersLaw.aspx

I hadn't thought about comparing it to Google. Insightful article.

Although I'm not sure how healthy SU's topline is with this model. Most people just click around...They should pair with a different technology that has ad delivering capability.

shirteesdotnet, October 8, 2007

I too have been using Stumble Upon as a viable search engine means. I can get very frustrated with google becuase if I dont put in the correct keywords, the exact keywords, I will never find what I want. Recently, while doing a search about earthquakes, I was specifically looking for some sort of visual quake simulation... maybe something someone made in flash or something... well, it didnt take more than a few clicks with "earthquake" as the keyword until I found exactly what I was looking for... not to mention so other pertinent earthquake sites along the way!

Chris Coyier, October 8, 2007

That image is hilarious.

amy, October 8, 2007

I hate stumbling articles about stumbledupon. Thumbs down.

Dan Harlow, October 9, 2007

As a "little guy" blogger, I have found that StumbleUpon is by far the best way to reach an audience who shares my interests. When I post a new story I always give it a thumbs up, a Digg and a reddit yet 95% of my traffic comes from Stumble. Currently I get 10-30,000 unique visitors per day from stumbling but am lucky to get 100-200 total from Digg and reddit alone.

In fact stuff I have posted long before other sites and have dugg myself fails to get picked up because I am not a "big guy" blogger. Digg and reddit users do not like the "little guy" blogger and most of the users tend to be more into technology and business stories anyway. Stumble is far more fair and is my favorite tool on the internet (and not just because it brings me traffic).

Fred, October 9, 2007

Copy content aside, I believe the image above has a copyright? Universal Studios?

Wayne Smallman, October 9, 2007

"In a way, there is a conflict of interest at Google: the better the search engine, the quicker you find what you're looking for, and the less time (per query) you actually spend on Google."

However, because of this, Google are richly rewarded by their advertisers.

The fundamental weakness of Google is their inability to properly harness Social Media and adopt the StumbleUpon model.

They've already got a toolbar, so the infrastructure is in place.

What better way to increase the relevance of a SERP than to have a rating system based on the preferences of those people who use Google?

Jay Cross, October 9, 2007

I love that graphic, so many people are ripping off the Demotivators design haha.

buzz, October 10, 2007

Google and SU are complements to each other - which is best depends on what you're after at a particular moment. Google will always have the advantage if you're after something really specific.

stelios, October 10, 2007

This is image is spot on!!!

Terence Chang, October 13, 2007

Since eBay bought stumbleUpOn, I was wondering if eBay will use it to compete with Google to create their own ad network.

I believe eBay will use stumbleUpOn like they were using Skeype to promote their services.

I like StumbleUpOn. At least, I get to see a lot of great photos that I won't be able to find on Google.

El Chauvinisto, October 16, 2007

That little troll looks like Hillary Clinton.

Denis, October 17, 2007

"Unlike Google, where ads are contextualized to a single query, content marketed through StumbleUpon takes into account your general Stumbling history"

Much like Google Web History. (which people don't like because it records your history) Stumbleupon records your history, and may, too, be turned off.

Megan, October 18, 2007

I am personally quite addicated to stumble upon. No I haven't seen a group dealing with this yet but hey give it a few months it may be out there lol. I have never looked at stumble upon quite this way but how very true. I love the different content you find because it isn' always that you think of something to research. Stumble upon makes you think and discover as well

Thanks for your insight

http://www.PassportMentors.com http://www.PassportMentors.com/PassportToWealthFreeCapture_page.htm

Great job...still addicted

MEGAN VAILLANCOURT

k23, October 20, 2007

caroline wrote: "This is very true. I've been experimenting with SU quite a lot recently and I've started using it like a search engine more and more. You just know that you can't possibly get spammy sites back in the results because nobody would give them thumbs up."

i have started using su for certain searches instead of google myself.

but i wonder - as su becomes more popular, will it see automated stumbling robots that thumbup spammy pages so they get into the rotation?

choim, October 25, 2007

The best aspect for me is I'm able to search my own stumble history thru my own categorized pigeon-holing, finding sites useful in today's work/play/study (I need a new word.)

psychotic ape, October 25, 2007

i wish stumbleupon would make it easier to see what I've viewed..like a full one page history of what I viewed (regardless of thumbs up or down) for any particular day.

Corebear, October 27, 2007

I came upon stumble upon through a newspaper review and i really like it! rather than giving us umpteen sites to a query, SU gives me interesting websites!

CHESSNOID, October 27, 2007

This is a good compare and contrast of both models. Just fyi, I found this site thru SU not Google. lol. CHeers!

slanthound, October 31, 2007

Interesting article. I also found this site thru SU . I'm new to it and had been wondering how the advertising worked. The comments by Dan the "little guy" blogger are pretty interesting too. The possibility of automated stumbling robots thumbing up spammy sites is a sad thought. Oh well its great for now.

wilbau, November 6, 2007

Yes, like your article. Using stumble upon is adding new creativity to my researches.

One thing has to be mentioned: A google research is less 'traffic intensive' than stumbling. You need broad band for stumbling, google just needs modest resources.

adnan, November 9, 2007

I am also using not only as search engine type of needs but it includes much more advantages: I can visit my interest related quality websites which I would never come through google. It gives my extra time a very good informative hobby. I can make my own blog which can show my personality and could gather things, picture quotes from all over the internet and just like an online advance diary.

Though there is one thing I want to know from anyone, if some can explain and help me. As you know everybody wants to earn money and most do from their websites. How can one earn some extra bucks from our blog on stumbleupon which gives us kindda our own site I mean us the stumbleupon users can earn some extras with their stumbleupon blog. and HOw?

Jill, December 28, 2007

I'm a new Stumbleupon user and did an experiment to see how much traffic (and what quality it might be) to a blog article.

Here's the resulting data: http://aldebaranwebdesign.com/blog/stumbleupon-my-experiment-to-increase-website-traffic-using-stumbleuponcom/

While the traffic did indeed come in, it was of poor quality, meaning that the bounce rate was super high (over 90%). Maybe all blog article traffic is high, but this would mean few people coming from Stumbleupon would convert to clients.

Am I correct in thinking that Stumbleupon is more for entertainment than anything else?

ganis | scholarships, January 25, 2008

i think each of them have their own pros and cons. it is true that stumbling has become somewhat addictive, however, it is hard to find what you are really look for using stumble upon.

Jake, March 19, 2008

@AMY: I was just skimming through the comments after reading the article and I just happened to notice yours.

You complain about stumbling upon an article about Stumble Upon, but this is actually in the StumbleUpon category. This category isn't automatic either, so you are basically going to thumb down every article in a category that you selected just because you decided that you no longer want to see articles from that category?

It would be much easier (not to mention no longer having the need to leave negative comments on great articles) to simple remove the Stumble Upon category from Tools>Update Topics on the SU toolbar. Simple solution and then, unless an article is accidentally miscategorized, you should should have very few reminders of what network you're on whilst you're stumbling about.

Jake, March 19, 2008

@AMY: I was just skimming through the comments after reading the article and I just happened to notice yours.

You complain about stumbling upon an article about Stumble Upon, but this is actually in the StumbleUpon category. This category isn't automatic either, so you are basically going to thumb down every article in a category that you selected just because you decided that you no longer want to see articles from that category?

It would be much easier (not to mention no longer having the need to leave negative comments on great articles) to simple remove the Stumble Upon category from Tools>Update Topics on the SU toolbar. Simple solution and then, unless an article is accidentally miscategorized, you should should have very few reminders of what network you're on whilst you're stumbling about.

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Melvin Long, June 26, 2008

My blog is a few months old. I think it's good and well designed. I get compliments form the few people that have visted it, but I desperately need to increase my traffic flow.

From the comments here, I'm going to try StunbleUpon, participate and see if I can get some visitors to review the site.

I find the variety of comments here in relationship to StumbleUpon vs. Google interesting. There are some good points that I can explore and learn from.

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