| There are millions of web pages out there. Search engines are aimed at helping Internet users get information they need. The downside is that they find too much information. In this article you will learn how to promptly find what you're looking for.
So how do search engines work? Search engines put together a database of websites by sending "spiders" or "robots" which go from link to link. When they get to a website, they index most words on the available pages. When you use a search engine, the engine scans its database of sites to match your keywords to those same keywords in pages in the data bank.
Basic search recommendations
It's easy and simple to improve your search results. You simply need to know some fundamentals. Some search engines have menus explaining how to do this but for others you have to enter proper commands. The following basic commands should be enough for most users and should be effective for most of the major search engines.
- Be specific
The more specific you are, the more information you'll find. Type in the search field exactly what you're seeking. For example, if you're searching for science experiments, enter School Science Fair Projects instead of science projects. If you know it's a chemistry experiment, add the word 'chemistry' to your search.
- The + symbol
The most significant words in your search should be placed first. To make certain the search engine finds pages with all the words you're seeking, place the + symbol in front of each word. Fir instance, if you're looking for information on Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, then enter +Biel +Timberlake. Only pages containing both words will be found.
- The - symbol
When you're searching for something specific, use the - symbol. For example, if you're searching for information on Rafael Nadal but don't want to read about his sports achievements, enter Rafael Nadal -Pro -Tennis Player.
- Using a "phrase search"
When search terms are put in quotation marks, it's called a "phrase search." The engine will give you pages that have the terms in the exact order as in quotations. For example, if you're looking specifically for a biography on Tyra Banks, enter "Tyra Banks Bio" and see what comes up.
- Combining Symbols
Once you have learnt how the above symbols work, combine them for better search results. A better search, than subtracting words, may be to do the following: "Beyonce Knowles" -Naughty Girl -"Album Review"
- Using boolean operators
Booleans can be applied in most major search engines when they allow some kind of advanced searching. The most popular boolean operators are AND, OR and NOT. Boolean operators are like the + and - symbols. AND means "include all of the words," OR means "include any of the words" and NOT means "exclude." For example, if you're searching for info on skin care and hair care, enter skin care AND hair care. Only pages containing both words will be on the list. |
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