Using Google

Articles > Websurfer > Using Google

Thirty years ago, the art of research was the art of locating obscure information — like finding water in the desert. Now, thanks to the Internet, research is more like finding a particular tree in the forest: more a process of eliminating what you don't want than looking for what you do want.

Google has become the preeminent search tool, because Google works. Results are ranked by a complicated process of 'web democracy', and the first pages listed are the pages that real people on the internet found most valuable. Google prides itself on its fairness; advertisers cannot buy a higher ranking, and whenever someone finds a way to trick the Google engine into giving them a higher score, the Google engineers quickly identify the ruse and teach their search engine not to be fooled.

So how can you use Google most effectively?

Use Tabbed Browsing

Make sure that you are using a web browser that supports tabbed browsing. Create a new window for the Google search, and Apple-Click (Control-Click on Windows) to open each of the search results in a new tab. For more details read my Tabbed Browsing article.

Choose Good Search Terms

What separates a Google Wizard from a Google Novice is their ability to choose effective search terms. This may look like an arcane art, but it turns out that there are only a few basic guidelines to follow.

When you initiate your Google search, start out with three or four keywords:

  1. Pick a word or phrase that identifies your topic as specifically as possible. Do you want to learn about digital photography or are you searching for a digital camera?
  2. Pick a word that narrows the search to the particular brand or operating system (i.e., canon).
  3. Pick a word that identifies the kind of document you are looking for (i.e., review, tutorial, bug).
  4. Finally, if there is a particular phrase that you expect to appear in your preferred document, include it in quotation marks (i.e., "raw file format").

When you have chosen all of your words, type them into the Google search field (digital photography canon review "raw file format") and run the search.1

Refine Your Search

When you run the search one of three things will happen. Either you get a page that contains the results you are looking for, you get a page that contains results that are similar to each other, but not what you are looking for, or you get a page with random results2.

If you got results that are not what you are looking for, think of a word that would clarify your request, or a word that will appear on these 'false results' but will not appear on the pages you are looking for. Add (or remove3) the word and search again.

If you got search results that look totally random — the pages don't seem to have anything in common — then your search is too specific. If no pages match your entire query then Google will do its best to find pages that match something. Remove some words from your search and try again.

Remember What Works

Over time you will discover certain words that help you quickly narrow down a search to your topic of interest. Remember those words, and use them again in your future queries. Here are a few of my favorite keywords to get you started:

mac os x tutorial free
windows review shareware
linux tip latest4
  hint  
     
-"related searches"5  
-"search the web"  

 

Good luck, and happy Googling!

References

See also:

Other basic websurfer resources:

Notes

  1. The Google search page has two buttons: "Google Search" and "I'm Feeling Lucky." The lucky button saves you a a click by automatically sending you to the first page returned by the search results. This is good if you are looking for a particular page, but not if you are doing broad research (like reading digital camera reviews). Return to text.
  2. What do I mean by random results? It's easier to demonstrate than to explain. Google for giraffe apple spacecraft chair and you'll see what I mean. Return to text.
  3. Preceding a word by a minus sign tells Google that you don't want that word. So searching for camera review canon -digital -pixel -megapixel will return Canon camera reviews for film cameras. Return to text.
  4. 'Latest' is a good word, but in general you should avoid words ending in 'est'. Everybody will claim to have the biggest, the fastest, the cheapest, and the best product on the market, so these words don't actually add any value to your search. Return to text.
  5. If you are looking for results it's a good idea to filter out any pages that are simply links to other search engines. Return to text.