Search Engine Snap.com takes risk by combining ads, content in results

[mandy]

Internet search engine Snap.com is hoping to expand its sparse audience by making Web surfing more like channel surfing on a TV, but the startup might attract more attention with another change that further blurs the lines separating ads from listings retrieved by objective formulas.

Under a new format to be unveiled Monday, Snap will lump together search results financed by advertisers in the same column as Web links drawn from algorithms programmed to disregard financial incentives and find the most relevant response to a user's request.

As an example of how Snap's approach might blend results, a response to "used cars" might rank a result bought by Carsmart.com directly above a noncommercial link to Usedcars.com...

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