Google punts search function for small businesses

The kit, which will be dubbed the Google Custom Search Business Edition will cost a hundred bucks anually for up to 5,000 pages of searchable content, while larger websites can pay $500 a year for up to 50,000 pages.

Unlike the current free mini Google search engine that punters can plonk on their sites, this new edition won't redirect traffic to Google and ads will be blocked too. As it stands, a smaller search engine called Google Mini can run from $1,995, so the new cheaper business edition is positive news for smaller webbies.

Google reckons the search engine will be easy to customise too, with Google product manager Nitin Mangtani reckoning the online customisation process won't take longer than ten minutes. µ