Search tip #3 - Searching Within Results

Ever created a search query that seemed pretty specific to you ( remember tip #1) and then all of a sudden you find 60 000 results on the first page really don't give you anything you feel like clicking on? Well I've been there too. It seemed a bit frustrating until I learnt to frame my queries properly.

But truth be told there's always a possibility that this may occur , no matter how well your queries are formed. The "Search within results" link seems to have been designed for exactly this. Its usually somewhere at the bottom of the search results page, just under the search textbox.

Simply fill in the keywords into the textbox and instead of clicking on the usual search button, click on the "search within results" link.

This then runs a search through your results , using the new key words as reference. Usually this should throw up some relevant results.

Search tip #2 - Google's "I'm Feeling Lucky" Button

In writing this series , I try to picture the average internet user, sometimes I have to go back to the days when I just started using the internet. Of course the google home page was almost like an entrance portal. Everytime I got to this page and noticed the "I'm Feeling Lucky" Button, I assumed it was one of those get-rich-quick or some unellicited jackpot or gambling service run by google. I doubt that too many people had thoughts as far off course as mine , but what exactly is this button meant for?

Simply put , this button takes you directly to a site related to your search term(s). By using this button you skip the standard search results page and go directly to the page for the first result ( or most relevant result ) of your search.

Knowing google this button isn't likely to send you to an unrelated page, I personally - like many internet users - rely on google search to navigate through the internet.

So if you want to save yourself some time, especially if your search isn't too complicated, you can give this button a try. Actually, looking at a google search result page can be daunting - too many options. So this may be a way to get it over and done with , without being drawn into the net of going through so many pages.

Hang on for tip #3...

The Google Universe - The Multi-Layered world of google services

I've written a bit about google and all the wonderful things the folks that work there keep coming up with. I'm pretty sure that if I'm around for the next hundred years , google will keep me busy blogging about something fresh and new everytime.

From google's blogsearch to news, google scholar to blogger, there's so much to discover in this amazing world. This blog is an expedition into this world, and if its left to me it'll last for a very long time.

Some of the 'planets' in this google universe include :

Google answers
Google book Search
Google Groups
Google News
Google mobile Services
Google Images
Google Desktop ...
And so much more

Somehow it seems like there's so much available, but few people know anything about them, and yet fewer people have any idea on how to use them. I'm hoping that through this blog I'll be able to give people a richer google experience.

Obviously the guys that devote their time to coming up with new ideas at google are the heros, I'm simply trying to give them the joy & fulfilment of watching their inventions catch on.

I've already started a series on "searching with google", so much more is coming up. Hope you stick around long enough to learn something new.

Learning to Search with Google - Tip 1

The google home page is primarily a search page. It has a very simple look and it keeps all the great features in the google world behind the scenes. But learning to find exactly what you are looking for on the internet using google, may sometimes not be as easy as we all might want it.

It actually isn't that difficult if you know what you want, and how to find it. This post and the subsequent ones will form a series on learning to search with google.

Whether you want to read the latest review of your new video game or your looking for the perfect vacation spot, knowing the right way to frame your search requests will make a whole lot of difference and will save you precious time.

So the first tip I'll offer here may seem pretty obvious, but is one that most people tend to over look.

BE SPECIFIC

There's no point trying to make your query vague enough to give you results. Google will probably come up with numerous results for even the most 'constricting' of search queries.

If you're seaching for real estate in vancouver, type "real estate in vancouver", not just "real estate" . No matter how long the query may seem , it wont hurt to put it into the search box and hit enter. It usually will save you time going through irrevelevant results.

Hang on for Tip 2.

Welcome !!!

I've read about , come across, and played around with a lot of stuff that's one way or the other related to google. Each time I accidentally stumble upon some new really cool feature, I'm like "WOW, I didn't know that existed".
On this blog I'm going to take the different features and tools and all the other things that make the google world so awesome, and try to put them in one place with as much information as possible. I'll start with blend the pretty simple stuff with the complicated geek stuff, a something for everyone approach , I guess.
I'm going to be posting pretty often. I'll crawl through as many pages as possible to get the best information and opinions.
So you're welcome on board, I'm sure the guys at google are going to keep coming at us with new stuff, and probably keep ahead, especially as the have a huge head start.
I'm off to put together my next post, keep your fingers crossed.