Strategies for better online searches
Business Technology | May 13, 2011
Each and every one of us knows what it’s like to perform an online search and find results that are not even close to what we were looking for. This can be quite aggravating. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple steps you can take that can ensure more relevant search results.
Keep it simple
Simplicity is essential when it comes to online searches. It’s usually in your best interest to use only a few words or phrases if the search is not too complex. If you’re looking for a type of business in your area, you can type in that business type along with the name of your town or your zip code. That should garner results that are both accurate and relevant to you.
Learn about Boolean
Boolean searches are something many of us are familiar with, whether we realize it or not. Essentially, Boolean searches revolve around using the terms “and,” “not” and “or” in your searches. It allows you to include or exclude several words and phrases from your search results.
You can also have the same effect by using simple pluses and minuses in your searches. If you would like to include a term in your query simply put a “ ” right before it in the search box. If you want to guarantee that a certain term does not pop up in your results, place a “-“ before that word or phrase.
Be precise
Preciseness can immediately eliminate a great deal of the unrelated and confusing search results. If the search terms you use are too broad, you are often left with thousands of results that have nothing to do with what you’re looking for.
Quotation marks are typically the international search engine symbol to search for an exact phrase. If you are looking for something specific, using quotation marks can help ensure that your results are more relevant.
These three tips can make quite the difference when it comes to relevance of search results. Applying them can almost guarantee that you will spend much less time sifting through results you don’t want.
If you’d like even more tips on performing online searches, take a look at this article.
Each and every one of us knows what it’s like to perform an online search and find results that are not even close to what we were looking for. This can be quite aggravating. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple steps you can take that can ensure more relevant search results.
Keep it simple
Simplicity is essential when it comes to online searches. It’s usually in your best interest to use only a few words or phrases if the search is not too complex. If you’re looking for a type of business in your area, you can type in that business type along with the name of your town or your zip code. That should garner results that are both accurate and relevant to you.
Learn about Boolean
Boolean searches are something many of us are familiar with, whether we realize it or not. Essentially, Boolean searches revolve around using the terms “and,” “not” and “or” in your searches. It allows you to include or exclude several words and phrases from your search results.
You can also have the same effect by using simple pluses and minuses in your searches. If you would like to include a term in your query simply put a “ ” right before it in the search box. If you want to guarantee that a certain term does not pop up in your results, place a “-“ before that word or phrase.
Be precise
Preciseness can immediately eliminate a great deal of the unrelated and confusing search results. If the search terms you use are too broad, you are often left with thousands of results that have nothing to do with what you’re looking for.
Quotation marks are typically the international search engine symbol to search for an exact phrase. If you are looking for something specific, using quotation marks can help ensure that your results are more relevant.
These three tips can make quite the difference when it comes to relevance of search results. Applying them can almost guarantee that you will spend much less time sifting through results you don’t want.
If you’d like even more tips on performing online searches, take a look at this article.