Search Engine - Improving Search Results

The WWW contains millions of pages. Search engines are useful tools aimed at helping Internet users find exactly what they need. The problem is that they find too much information. Keep on reading to find out how to effectively find what you're seeking.

So how do search engines work?

Search engines put together a database of sites by sending "spiders" or "robots" to go from link to link. Once they get to a website, they index most of the words available. When you use a search engine, the engine scans its database of sites to match your keywords to those same keywords in pages in the data bank. Basic search tips It is easy and simple to improve your search results. All you need to know are some fundamentals. Some search engines have guides to do this but for others you have to enter appropriate commands. Below you'll find some basic commands suitable for most of the major search engines.

- Specify what you're seeking

The more specific you are, the more information you'll find. Type in the search field exactly what you're searching for. For example, if you're seeking science experiments, enter School Science Fair Projects rather of science projects. If you know it's a chemistry experiment, add the word 'chemistry' to your search.

- The + symbol

The most important terms in your search should be placed first. For the search engine to find pages with all the words you're searching for, put the + symbol in front of each word. For instance, if you're looking for info on Jennifer Lopez and Mark Antony, then enter +Lopez +Antony. Only pages that have both words will be on the list.

- The - symbol

If you're looking for something specific but don't need tons of other irrelevant information, use the - symbol. For example, if you're seeking information on Roger Federer but don't want to read about his career, enter Roger Federer -Pro -Tennis Player.

- Using a "phrase search"

When you put your search terms in quotation marks, it's called a "phrase search." The search engine will give you pages that have the terms in the exact order as in quotation marks. For instance, if you're looking specifically for a biography on Gwen Stefani, enter "Gwen Stefani Biography".

- Using boolean operators

Boolean operators can be applied in most major search engines providing advanced searching. The most popular boolean operators are AND, OR and NOT. Booleans are similar to 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 music and dancing enter music AND dancing. Only pages containing both words will be on the list of search results.