Buzzword: SERP

What it means. In the early days of Web search engines, SERP—search engine results page—was only part of new-media pioneers' jargon. In today's wired world, we all encounter SERPs countless times a day when we google someone (to find out what became of a high-school flame) or something (to check out the price of the bottle of wine you got from your boss).

A SERP, a listing of Web pages returned by a search engine in response to a query, in a way serves as an up-to-the minute measure of what people are looking for online; how well a Web page is optimized (the ever-important search-engine optimization, or SEO); and which search terms companies are paying for (the sometimes pricey search-engine marketing, or SEM).

Every organization with a Web site pays attention to SERPs, be they derived from internal or external searches. At Consumer Reports, for example, we've seen that many of you are searching for information on wood- and pellet-burning stoves. We've done a buyer's guide to these increasingly popular devices and have covered news surrounding them in the Home & Garden blog, like these posts on their rising sales and a new pellet-delivery system. We're also planning a testing-based report on these product.

Why the buzz? SERP plays a big role in the Web 2.0 world, which emphasizes social networks and interaction. (A related buzzword, reputation economy, highlights the user review nature of this new model). Still, as valuable a pulse-taker as SERP is, it's not always a reliable measure of quality. Consider the recently published "Looking for a Vacuum?" item on AOL.

After some breezy if not exactly exhaustive buying advice ("Most people want something light-weight with great sucking power . . . "), the author provides a list of the most searched vacuum cleaners on AOL. They include, in order from 1 to 10, Dyson, Shark, Rainbow, Kirby, Hoover, Eureka, Oreck, Dirt Devil, Miele, and Bissell.

This search-term popularity contest not only omits leading nameplates Kenmore and Electrolux but also isn't an accurate measure of how the 10 brands perform. In our latest report on upright vacuums, canister vacuums, and handheld vacuums, for instance, Dyson models didn't rank as highly as the AOL Dyson search did. (Ratings of canister and upright vacuums are available to subscribers.) Kirby is another highly searched brand on AOL, and people interested in that company's vacuums will be happy to know that it was among the highest-scoring—but priciest—upright vacuums we tested.

The discrepancies between popularity and performance are many, and we haven't even touched on brand reliability. This is not to say SERP is useless. The wisdom of the crowd can be a good starting point in your search for information. But when it comes to vacuum cleaners and other major appliances, be sure to cross-reference the cyber chatter with the test-based findings of our engineers.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Read our Value Index for cordless drills, a new tool designed to help you get the biggest bang for your buck.