| A few simple tasks
can give amazingly better search result, even without using advanced
features of a search engine.
Agreed, for complex search on focussed subjects, one
has to use advanced features that almost every search engine provides.
But then, not every search is complex - you might be looking for
as simple a thing as URL of Exim Bank of India. A few tips can make
your job really easy and less time consuming.
1. Select the Search Engine Carefully
Most of us are fond of one or two search engines and
blindly use them no matter what the search subject is. However,
a little planning can save your time considerably.
If you are searching in directory type search engine,
the search result will be precise but limited in number. So, if
your search topic is not well-known or broad enough - it may not
be listed in Yahoo! categories. On the other hand - if you are looking
for a few good sites - there is nothing like Yahoo!
If the search is for a specific product or service
- check if there is any specific search engine for that topic. For
example - if you are looking for software download - cnet or download.com
is a better choice than general purpose search engines.
If you need quick results from more than one search
engine - use a meta search engine like dogpile.com
And if you really want to do nothing but search blindly,
use google - it never fails to amaze me with its broad coverage
and extremely fast throughput.
I have found google.com to cover more Indian sites
than any so called India-specific search engines !
2. Be Specific
Always start with very specific search expression.
Never beat around the bush - tell the search engine exactly what
you want.
If you are looking for garment buyers in Togo - search
for garment and (buyers or importers) and togo - not just togo or
garment
You can even state your problem - "can not install
printer in Linux"
You will be amazed to find how often this works !
3. Forced Search
You can force search engine to look for sites having
specific search words. The + symbol lets you do this
The + symbol ensures that a search engine finds pages
that have all the words you enter, not just some of them. For example
- if you are looking for tobacco growers in Andhra Pradesh - search
with
+'Tobacco growers' +'Andhra Pradesh'
The + symbol above will ensure that search engine retrieves
only those pages that have both the phrases 'Andhra Pradesh' and
'Tobacco growers'
Forced search is especially helpful when you do a search
and then find yourself overwhelmed with information. Use of + symbol
will narrow down your search considerably.
More search tips in forthcoming issues
Related Links:
Source: FAIDA
- Newsletter on Business Opportunties from India and Abroad
Vol: 3, Issue 14
July 25' 2002
Author :
Dr. Amit K. Chatterjee
(Amit worked in blue-chip Indian and MNCs for 15 years in various
capacities like Research and Information Analysis, Market Development,
MIS, R&D Information Systems etc. before starting his e-commerce
venture in 1997. The views expressed in this columns are of
his own. He may be reached at amit@infobanc.com
) |
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