Ask Jeeves and Lycos today announced a deal in which Lycos will begin displaying search results generated by the Ask database.

Ask Jeeves results, which replace listings generated by Norway’s FAST Search and Transfer Company, began showing on Lycos early this morning. Both Ask and Lycos are struggling to compete in a sector dominated by Google, Yahoo and MSN.

Ask Jeeves is considered by many in the search sector to the the fourth most important search engine boasting highly accurate results along side an innovative paid-ad distribution system. Jeeves is on a growth spurt, hoping to gain a larger share of the search market over the coming two quarters.

Lycos is in what appears to be a re-building phase. Until yesterday, it received its results primarily from FAST and Looksmart. Last week, Lycos announced a deal that combines the databases of four well known online dating sites as part of its growth upgrade. Acquiring listings from Ask Jeeves will help Lycos credibly brand itself as an alternative to its much larger rivals.