Smart Searching

Using a search engine might seem very simple, but in fact there is undoubtedly an art to it

. While search engines such as Google are very useful tools, they are really only as helpful as the terms you type into them, and they rely on specific algorithms that won't necessarily be able to interpret precisely what it is you mean. While most of us won't find this a problem for the basic searches, when it comes to finding something more difficult such as the name of a song or the answer to an unusual questions a certain amount of search engine skill becomes paramount.

The first thing to recognise then is that search engines will look for the words you type in. They can't interpret the meaning of your words so if you type in 'Which colours go with green?' it won't be looking for 'purple and blue', it will be looking for the question. In other words you will only get an answer if it finds your question elsewhere on the internet, maybe on a forum or Yahoo Answers for example, or as the title of an article.

However if you typed in part of the answer, for example 'colours that don't go with green are' then you're more likely to find a sentence, and therefore an article that has the phrase you're searching for.

You can use this knowledge to your advantage in other searches too. For example, if you know the words to a song then type them in don't write 'what's the name of the song where'. Sometimes writing the section of lyrics you remember with 'lyrics' at the end will ensure you don't come across the same quote elsewhere.

You can also use this to your advantage when looking for things you've seen previously. Just try to remember a quote from the article as long as possible any soundbite and then search for that. This way you will be brought up with that sentence in its context. If you don't remember the exact sound bite, then rather than guess words (which will throw off the search) just omit the ones you're unsure of.

Also bear in mind that when looking for part of an article or song lyrics then the more unusual it is the more likely you are to get the result you're looking for with fewer bogus results so think of the part that most stands out.

If you have gotten the word or phrase mostly correct in your search and the query is a popular one, then Google might be able to suggest the answer for you by saying 'Did you mean'. Here you can then click on the correct phrase and that should help lead you there. Bear in mind however that sometimes it will assume you've miss-typed and redirect you automatically and on occasion it makes errors so you might have to redirect it.

If after all this you are still not having any luck then try using different search engines. While they are generally similar, their methods are slightly different so the more different search engines you use the higher your chances of success.

by: Rebecca Hamm

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