How to effectively search the web

Search Engines

Internet search sites can search enormous databases of Web pages ? using titles ? keywords or text. You can maximize the potential of search engines by learning how they work ? and how to use them quickly and effectively. The challenge is to ask your question the right way ? so that you don't end up overwhelmed with too many search results ? underwhelmed with too few ? or simply unable to locate the material that you need. As with most skills ? practice makes perfect!

Getting Started

Before doing a search ? it's important to define your topic as completely and succinctly as possible. Write down exactly what information you're looking for ? why you're looking for it ? and what you're not looking for. This will help you to discover the best keywords for your search.

Keywords

With the exception of search engines such as AskJeeves.com ? which will take questions in the form of actual queries ? most work best if you provide them with several keywords. So how do you determine which keywords will work best?

Most users submit 1.5 keywords per search ? which is not enough for an effective query - the recommended maximum is 6 to 8 carefully chosen words ? preferably nouns and objects. (Search engines consider articles and pronouns clutter.) Avoid verbs ? and use modifiers only when they help to define your object more precisely - as in "feta cheese" rather than just "cheese."

Now you have your keywords. How do you enter them into the search engine?

Use of Phrases

Your most powerful keyword combination is the phrase. Phrases are combinations of two or more words that must be found in the documents you're searching for in the EXACT order shown. You enter a phrase - such as "feta cheese" - into ...