Tips to Search Internet Effectively

Effective Internet Searching

1. Read the Tips Menu (Help)

Understand your Search Tool. Differ a search directory and a search engine. The Tips Menu or Help will provide valuable information about how to perform an effective search. If you have not looked at Help, Tips, or other guides, you are probably not making the best use of the search tool.

2. Prepare to Search

Think the thing what you are looking for. Create a list of search terms that you can work with. Consider what is the best search tool for the job.

3. Start with the Simple Search Tool

When you begin a search, use the simple mode to enter search terms.Some of the major tools like Alta Vista, AskJeeves, and others have designed the simple mode for ease of use. Natural language searching, links to RealName and DirectHit for finding major sites, and other features like Lycos' First and Fast retrieve good results with minimal expertise.

Refrain from entering a search with + and -, Boolean and, or, and not, parenthetical expressions, and other advanced features before you have simply entered the search term or terms. If you are searching a phrase, however, the " " around the search will generally lead to better results

4. Use Unique Terms to Retrieve More Specific Results

Search tools use language to retrieve results. The information you find depend on the words you choose. Since some terms generally have one or more meanings, less than perfect results are common when searching the internet. Try to use words that are specific and describe what you are looking for in unique ways.

5. Use Both the Simple Modes and the Advanced of Search Tools

Advanced Search is not only for "advanced searchers." However, the information that you are looking for often dictates how you will search. Learning to work with the Advanced Search modes does not take much more time or energy to learn to use, and it allows you to work with more search options and retrieve sites that are more relevant.

6. Use More than One Search Tools

Not all search tools are alike. A search will produce radically different results depending upon the tool used. Each tool has strengths and weaknesses. Take advantage of the strengths and use tools to your advantage. If you want to see this in action, try doing the same search on different tools. Compare the first ten sites retrieved by each tool.

7. Use the Directories in Search ToolsDirectories, such as what is used by Yahoo, are available on most search tools and help organize sites into categories. Use these categories to focus your search.

8. Use the MetaSearch Tools and Natural Language Tools to Begin a Search

MetaSearch tools, such as Ixquick Metasearch, Vivísimo, ProFusion, SurfWax, and others, search multiple tools simultaneously and are good tools to begin your research. Although the results are rarely as good as using an individual search tool, metasearchers are an excellent way to explore a topic and gather keywords and other information. After using a MetaSearch tool, refine the search by using the available features specific to each individual search tools.

Natural language searching, available on many tools such as AskJeeves, Alta Vista, and others allows a search to be formulated into a question. Translating a search into a question often helps to you refine the type of information you want to retrieve.

9. Use Capitalization When Appropriate or to Refine a Search

Not every search tool is case sensitive. However, you will not be penalized by using capitalization for a search. Capitalization will often retrieve sites that have the search term in the title--this tactic is especially useful when searching for a terms that are not capitalized unless they are in a title.