In this issue of Optimal Impact, learn a few tips that'll help you find what you need on the Internet -- faster and easier.
The Internet. It’s our go-to for information of all kinds—from medical advice to restaurant reviews to current events. We are all familiar with search sites like Yahoo!, MSN, and of course, Google. We know how they work and that they bring the world to our fingertips. But how can you ensure that the search words you enter are going to give you the right results? How can you retrieve the most relevant information? As the holidays approach, we all may be searching for some esoteric items to gift to friends and family. Read on to find out how to better target your searches and get the information you need more efficiently.
Tips for Better Searching
The key to successful and efficient searching is reducing the number of irrelevant web sites that appear in your search results. You can improve the accuracy of your searches by learning how search engines act on your search query—the words and phrases you type into the search box. You can then modify your search query to produce more effective results. Google has become far and away the most popular search site. So, here are some tips for using it more efficiently. Although these tips are specific to Google, most of the ideas will apply to other search engines, as well.
Be Specific
First, be specific. Use longer search phrases with meaningful words. By default, most search engines will try to find web pages whose text contains all the words in your search phrase. Try to include words you expect will be on the web sites you want to see and prioritize your most important search words from left to right.
For example, entering ‘brochures’ into a search box will find you all sorts of information on everything from hurricanes to vacations. If, however, you are looking for a better way to print your corporate brochures, try typing: ‘four color brochure printing.’ Being exact gets better results.
Don't Be Ignored
Secondly, avoid being ignored by excluding extraneous words. Search engines are programmed to ignore many common words that don't add any value to the search. Words such as "who" or "where" usually don't help the engine narrow the search because they appear on so many web pages. Search engines also ignore single letters, such as "a" or "I." If you need to include a common word in your Google search, put a plus sign in front of it. For example, entering ‘Get an A’ as your search phrase won't give you any tips for succeeding in your English class. But entering ‘Get +an +A’ brings up several web pages with tips on how to write a better paper.
Reduce Irrelevant Results
Get rid of the fat. You can narrow your search significantly by excluding any words you know should not appear in your search. Do this by putting a dash before any word that should not appear in your search results. For example, if you are looking for “Macintosh apples,” you will inevitably come up with “Macintosh computers.” Minimize this problem by typing “Macintosh apples -computers” into the search box.
Use Exact Phrases
Finally, if you are looking for specific phrases, such as movie titles or quotations, put them in quotes. For example, searching for ‘It's not that I'm so smart,’ may not immediately yield Einstein's famous quote. But if you put it in quotation marks, ‘ “It's not that I'm so smart,” ’ then Einstein’s quote jumps to the first results entry.
Last Word
These days, for better or worse, we’re usually in a rush to find what we’re looking for. With these tips, you can perform better search queries, which can save you time and frustration finding the information you need.
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