Search engine service Google is expanding with a fee-based expert answer service.

Google Answers uses person-to-person searches. For a fee, an appropriate researcher will answer questions on a specific topic.

The service is intended to help users with limited skills or time to make the most of Google's resources.

The site launched to staff members and their families late last week. Google plans to introduce the service to consumers in forthcoming weeks.

To use the service, visitors must register a credit card with the site and pay a non-refundable 50 cents listing fee. Each question is then priced individually between $4 (£3) and $50 (£35), depending on the topic and complexity of the query.

The site will source an appropriate expert researcher for each question, who is paid three quarters of the query fee. Google retains the other quarter.