Cult search engine 'bigger than Google'

A Norwegian internet search company has claimed that its service is able to index more web pages than industry trend setter Google.

AlltheWeb.com, which has a cult following among the scientific community, declared today that its database spans 2.1 billion web pages, just ahead of the 2.07 billion offered by Google.

Norway's Fast Search & Transfer has been expanding its previous foundation of 800 million pages over the past two months in attempt to counter the growth of its nearest rival.

AlltheWeb's effectiveness has already made it a hit among scientists, librarians and other researchers looking for more obscure data.

By pushing the size of its database AlltheWeb believes it will become more useful to a broader audience.

John Lervik, chief executive at Fast Search, told Associated Press: "Our goal is to develop the best search experience possible."

Google has long boasted of the breadth of its web indexes, but it also promotes the fact that it uses its own complex formulas to deliver quick results that list the most pertinent websites.