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Using Search Engines More Effectively

How to find a needle in a haystack.

by PC Smart (July 21, 2004)

You’ve heard about a new product, customers have been coming into the store asking for it, you want to carry it, but don’t have any specifics. "No problem, I'll just do an Internet search," you say confidently. Allow me a momentary chuckle at your expense.

Do you know how BIG the Internet is? Do you realize how many hits you will get with keywords like scrapbooking and stickers? Do you have the time to wade through all those results to find the product you are looking for?

Below I have listed some quick and easy tips for more precise searching. For more detailed explanations of these tips and many more, go to the home page of your search engine and find the Help section. Google has a comprehensive help feature and also some nifty extras on its home page. You can try out beta features in the Google Labs, or be guided step by step through an advanced search just by filling out blank fields. With a little practice, your Internet searches will take you less time and be far more productive.

1. Most search engines are not case sensitive, so skip the caps.

2. Use the + symbol. By placing the + symbol in front of a word, you are telling the search engine that word must be included in the results. This is important if you are looking for something that contains one of the common words that Google might ignore, such as "where" or "and." Let’s use The Vintage Workshop as an example: Without a + symbol before the word The, it would be eliminated from the search.

3. Phrase searching. One of the most common ways to narrow your search is by placing quotation marks on either side of a phrase or word group. Things such as "the vintage workshop" are best searched with quotations if you are looking for the company's products and not some working museum for woodworkers.

4. Eliminate the obvious. Using the – symbol in front of a word will ensure that word does not appear in the search results. A while back, I was searching for Backstreet stamps. I went through 10 pages of music related results before I realized my error. I reentered the keyword but with –boys after the word backstreet. (I have my daughter to thank for that brainstorm.)

5. By using the ~ symbol in front of your keywords, you are able to search for synonyms. By entering ~markers, you might also receive results for pens.

6. Either this OR that. By using the word OR in capital letters between keywords, you tell the search engine that you will settle for either one. For example, eyelet OR brad will pull up pages that contain one or the other.

7. Title and text searches. By placing intitle: before the keyword, it limits the search to only results that contain those words in the title of the page. The opposite is intext:. The use of this tool allows you to search for a specific word or phrase within the body or text of the page.

8. Other types of searches include domain searches (search only within one site), and numeral ranges. If you are looking for albums that cost between $10-30 dollars you would type in $10..30.

Now that you have the basic rules of searches, you will be able to save time and effort when looking for specific products or companies. By checking in with the homepage of the search engine you are using, you may find further tricks to guide you through the search process.

Now, about that needle in the haystack:

"needle in the haystack" or needle +in +the haystack or needle –sewing +haystack.

Note: PC Smart writes for art/craft industry consumer and trade publications, in addition to being a marketing consultant and designer. In her previous, non-creative life, she was a database systems designer for a pharmaceutical company. Her main goal in writing about technology has been the marriage of computers and traditional art/crafts. Specializing in consumer level designs, Pamela focuses on the use of graphics software, scanners, and printers to help the average crafter use her computer for more than an expensive email machine. She believes that technology should be used as a tool in creativity and not necessarily the final output. PC Smart can be reached at pcsmart@bellsouth.net.

Note: To read previous Tech Talk columns, click on the titles in the right-hand column.

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