Yahoo chief rates Google as No. 4 portal

"So far they don't seem to have a plan, but maybe they do," Semel said during a question-and-answer session at an Internet conference. "Maybe a magic will happen tomorrow." Earlier, Semel praised Google's online search prowess, hailing the company as a pioneer in that field.

But then he noted that Google seems to be following Yahoo's footsteps by adding an array of new products like e-mail, photo sharing, social networking, personalised home pages and voice communications.

The additional features, Semel said, have made Google "look more and more like a portal. And as a portal, it probably would be rated No. 4."

Semel didn't specify which portals he considered to be superior, but he most likely was referring to Yahoo, Microsoft Corporation's MSN and Time Warner Inc 's AOL. All three of those sites are built around a mixture of e-mail, news, entertainment and e-commerce that consistently ranks them among the most popular destinations on the Web.

Asked to respond to Semel's remarks, Google spokeswoman Lynn Fox said, "We appreciate recognition of Google's leadership in search.