Mahalo is a new search directory that launched less than a week ago. It is human-powered. Read on to find out how searching Mahalo is different and how to get your site listed if you are a web master, web site owner or blogger.

Searching or browsing Mahalo

When you do a search on Mahalo, you don’t search an index of millions or billions of web pages like you do at Yahoo!, Google, Windows Live and their competitors.

You search (or even browse) a relatively tiny index of searches that have been prepared for you by Mahalo employed web searchers. The search results have then been filtered by these employees, called guides, and when you do your search, only the really good stuff will appear. So even though Mahalo calls itself a search engine, it is really a directory or a web catalog.

When you come to the Mahalo home page , you are presented with a regular search box and 10 main categories.

If you click More below the category list, you come to a list showing all of Mahalo’s categories alphabetically. If you know exactly what you are looking for, e.g. Bollywood movies, click on B and find listings for Bollywood, Bollywood Actors, Bollywood Actresses, and Bollywood Filmmakers and Producers.

If you are not looking for Bollywood related information specifically, but for Indian popular culture in general, do a search for India and you get links for Indian sports, literature, music and more.

Transparency

Some of the links on Mahalo has symbols next to them. Links that are among the favorites of a guide are followed by the shaka sign, a hand showing only the thumb and fourth finger. This is a Hawaiian greeting. If you point your mouse to any shaka sign, it will show you the initials of the guide who recommended it and why he or she likes it.

If a site that is listed has pop-ups, invasive ads or other potential problems, the link is marked by a yellow warning sign. Pointing your mouse to the sign will tell you what the problem is.

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