April 23, 2006

How to get better search results

If you are tired of getting a million results returned

I am going to use Google as my example, but no matter which search engine you use, these tips should help you find what you are looking for faster.

1. First off, you don't need to type a web address into a search. If you want to save a few steps, just type the address you want in the address bar of your browser.
2. Use the advanced search feature, linked right next to the search input area on Googles page. It may look a little overwhelming at first, but it is actually very easy to use.
3. Use " " (quotes) around exact phrases.
4. Use - (minus sign) to exclude a word
5. Use + (plus sign) to add a word
6. Some search engines allow Boolean phrases Like IS - NOT - AND - OR

Lets say I collect information on posters of old westerns and I want to know more about Ronald Reagan
If I just typed Ronald Reagan in the search I would get about 36,500,000 results
If I type in ronald reagan western movie poster it gets better, about 334,000 results
Now if I type "ronald reagan" +"western movie poster" -president I get 162 results

You can see that using "operators" in your search helps to refine the results, so next time you do a search, play around with these concepts and see if you can fine tune your queries to come up with what you are looking for faster.

If you have any suggestions or comments, send me an email, or post to the bulletin board

Have a great day !