Internet Search Tips & Strategies
Finding information on the Internet, even about obscure topics, is easier than ever because of the power and accessibility of search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo! Search. Each day, these top search engines deliver results for more than 100 million search queries. Still, some lesser-known features can improve your quest for answers if you incorporate them into your own Internet searching strategies.
Other People Are Reading
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Quoted Phrases
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Search engines have become smarter, minimizing the importance of surrounding a search phrase with a pair of quote marks, such as "Mediterranean Octopus." In many cases, a search engine will provide the same results, with or without the use of a quoted phrase.
However, some types of searches may benefit from using quoted phrases, particularly when your query contains several bland or common words, such as "The rabbit ran fast." When in doubt, retype your search phrase using quote marks; the new search may provide more relevant results.
Natural Language
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Most search engines allow the use of "natural language" when making a query. Typically, this means you can input an actual question as your search query, such as, "How do I paint miniatures?"
Some search engines--as you type your own search into the engine-- show the most popular, similar queries made by other users. For example, if you type the phrase, "How to paint," Google may reveal that other users searched for "How to paint a car" and "How to paint furniture." You can use this feature to find queries similar to your own--in this case, to learn about painting objects other than miniatures.
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Positive and Negative Searching
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Negative, or exclusionary searching, is a search method that works by telling the search engine which words or phrases you don't want to see in search results. If you're searching for "common hood" but keep receiving results for "Robin Hood," you can tell the search engine to exclude those results by adding a minus sign (-) in front of a search term, such as "common hood -Robin."
Additionally, you can require an exact word or phrase to appear in search results by adding a plus sign (+) in front of that word or phrase. Note that, by default, most search engines will search for synonyms of the word or words you input. Placing a plus sign in front of the word indicates that you want search results to include that exact word, as typed, but not synonyms.
Search Specific Domain
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It is possible to limit your search query to show results only from a specific domain, or website. For most search engines, including Google, Bing and Yahoo! Search, accomplish this by adding the phrase "site:domain" to your query, such as "site:fda.org" or "site:eHow.com." This search strategy can sometimes be used to locate specific online conversations occurring on popular social media websites such as Twitter or Facebook.
Wildcards
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Have you ever searched for a quote but can't recall an important word that would help you rediscover it? You can let Google fill in the gap through the use of a wildcard search. Signify a wildcard by using the asterisk symbol (*) and tell Google to fill in the wildcard with relevant words in its place. As an example, providing "How I love * " tells Google to find results with a wild, but suitable, fourth term such as "How I love thee."
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References
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- Photo Credit internet image by Jean-Michel POUGET from Fotolia.com
