Searching the internet is well, it’s something almost all of us do every day. From movie times to outdoor gear to phone numbers–it’s all on the web, and generally that is our starting point. Such a wealth of information allows us to find anything.
Sadly, almost daily I have someone ask me, “How did you find that?” or “Where is this?” because he/she hasn’t been able to sift through the chaos out there and find the best deal on airfare or a cheap online printer or the reason his/her computer is having issues.
So apparently people aren’t always enjoying finding all the answers online because they simply can’t find them. I’ve got 5 things to consider when searching. Hopefully they help…
1. Decide where you’ll search.
By default, your computer’s browser already uses one search engine or another. Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask, AOL, Lycos, HotBot…there are tons, and chances are, your computer uses only one unless you tell it something different. The problem is that each engine returns very different results based on its own preferences, so you could search all day on one and get nowhere, while searching on another could produce results in 30 seconds. So try them all. An impressive list of Search Engines can help.
2. Be Specific
Usually when searching, we tend to enter one word that returns 4 billion results. Ok, so not 4 billion, but honestly, with “camp” returning a quarter-of-a-billion results, it takes 6 pages before you hit a camp equipment retailer. Granted, most people look for specific names and details, but honestly, those same people give up if their desired results aren’t on the first page. The solution? Be specific. Use many words, and employ synonyms if needed. Include locations, numbers, associated names. And here’s yet another useful list, full of search operators to help specify your search.
3. Check for Relevant Material
Sometimes searches return long lists and pages of solid text…no one wants to read those. First, search your page (EDIT>Find or CTRL+F) and find what you’ve been searching for. Next, look around and see if there are any similar words/phrases/ideas you can use in your next search to help limit your results. Basically this is just being more specific, but so few people take the time to find different ways of saying something to help their searching. If I made all the websites in the world, obviously they would be structured the same with the same set of keywords. Sadly (and luckily) the web is full of various designers from all over the world. Each uses different language and terms, so find alternate terms for your search. It may open up a new realm of possibilities.
4. Be Patient
“If it’s not on the first page of Google, I don’t want it…” Hopefully this isn’t you. Those first returns are usually pretty good, though most of the first page is full of ads. If you are specific enough, you should have sorted through the massive jumble, but still, take the time to do serious research. For instance, if I search for airline deals, I will get the usual ads and 30 pages of stuff. But the site I like doesn’t even show up in the first 10 pages most of the time. So I keep looking.
Side note: If you are looking for a deal on anything, be patient. And sign up with reputable companies to receive notice of their sales. I get notice from a kitchenware company, book sellers, electronic stores, and some cheap secondhand stores. Chances are, they will have what you want, and you will receive first notice. But take the time. Don’t settle for the first search result unless it is amazing. Keep looking. Chances are, someone has it for cheaper.
5. Bookmark
When you find something (especially if it takes forever to find), bookmark it. It does no good to spend some time, find it, and then be unable to find it the next time. Too often I stumble upon sites for fonts or design examples, cheap deals, free stuff, and then I can’t get back to them again. Just bookmark the page. It really doesn’t take too much effort, and you can find again. Decided you don’t want to return? Delete it from your list. No worries.
I know these are all common sense. But we seem to need reminding from time to time. Remember: if you search hard enough and long enough, you can find just about everything. And with a little work, hopefully hard enough and long enough really won’t be that hard or long.
