| The WWW contains millions of websites. Search engines are useful tools aimed at helping users find the best search results. The downside of search engines is that they find too much info. Keep reading to learn how to get the best search results and find exactly what you're searching for.
So how do search engines work? Search engines put together a data bank of websites by sending "spiders" or "robots" that go from link to link. When spiders get to a website, they index most of the words on the available pages. When you use a search engine, the engine scans its data bank of websites to match your keywords to those same keywords in pages in the database.
How to make the search more efficient?
It is easy and simple to improve your search results. All you need to know are some basic information. Some search engines have step-by-step guides to do this but for others you have to enter the right commands. The following basic commands should be enough for most users and should work effectively in most of the major search engines.
- Specify what you're seeking
The more specific you are, the more info you'll find. Tell the search engine exactly what you're seeking. Fir instance, if you're looking for science experiments, enter School Science Fair Projects alternatively of science projects. If you know it's a chemistry experiment, add the word 'chemistry' to your search.
- The + symbol
The most crucial words in your search should be placed first. To make certain the search engine finds pages containing all the words you're searching for, use the + symbol in front of each word. For example, if you're searching for information on Angelina Jolie and Bred Pitt, then enter +Jolie +Pitt. Only pages that have both words will be found.
- The - symbol
If you're searching for something specific but don't want tons of other info that's not related to your subject, place the - symbol in front of each term. For example, if you're seeking info on Roger Federer but don't want to read about his career, enter Roger Federer -Pro -Tennis Player.
- Using a "phrase search"
When search terms are put in quotation marks, it's called a "phrase search." The engine will show a list of pages that have the terms in the exact order as in quotations. For example, if you're searching specifically for a bio on George Michael, enter "George Michael Biography" and see what comes up.
- Booleans
Booleans can be used in most major search engines when they allow some kind of advanced searching options. The most popular boolean operators are AND, OR and NOT. Booleans 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 seeking info on beauty and health care, enter beauty AND health care. Only pages containing both words will be on the list of search results. |
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