Teoma

Teoma is a web search technology and, in its early years, a separate search engine that emphasized topic-based relevance rather than purely global popularity. Developed by researchers at Rutgers University in the late 1990s, Teoma introduced a ranking approach aimed at identifying authoritative sources within a given subject by examining how pages were linked within a specific topic.

The Teoma algorithm analyzes a query by constructing a topic-oriented map of related pages. It identifies a small set of root pages for the query and then expands to related topics and pages, evaluating links in the context of the topic rather than counting links alone. By focusing on subject-specific authority, Teoma sought to surface high-quality results for complex or evolving topics and to help users discover related subjects through the connected topic graph.

In 2001, Teoma and its technology were acquired by Ask Jeeves, which later rebranded as Ask.com. The Teoma ranking framework then formed a core part of Ask’s search product for several years, with the company marketing its topic-based approach as a differentiator from general link-based ranking.

Over time, Teoma’s prominence declined as the broader search landscape evolved and Google’s dominance grew. Ask.com gradually integrated or shifted away from Teoma’s distinctive methodology, and the Teoma technology became part of the broader Ask.com technology stack rather than a standalone product.