Have you ever dreamed of traveling? Whether driving cross-country or simply across town, a good map is handy to get you to where you are going. Likewise, a good search engine is valuable when navigating the global information superhighway known as the Internet.
What is the Internet
Unlike driving a car, you do not need a license to use the Internet. All you really need is a computer with some type of Internet connection. But, once online, without some navigational tool to show you where you are going, you will probably get frustrated by unnecessary detours, quickly losing site of your destination. So, before beginning your next superhighway travels, let’s explore an overview of what the Internet really is.
In simple terms, the Internet is a global collection of various interconnected computer networks accessible to the general public. The Internet, also referred to as the Net or the Web, allows users to communicate with other computer users via email and chats. Or, users can visit web sites for the purposes of online shopping, banking, research, or just for fun. Just like traveling in certain sections of town (or across the country), some parts of the Internet, such as private, financial, government, or commercial areas may not allow just anyone to enter. These Internet sites have security features in place (such as user logins and passwords) to prevent unauthorized visitors from entering and viewing data in their particular network.
Like driving around, there are also some places on the Internet you definitely want to steer clear of. But, how can you do this online? One way is by using one of the Internet’s most important navigational tools—a search engine.
What is a Search Engine
A search engine is like a driver’s map to the Internet. It allows a user to type key words into a search field. For example, a user may be looking for freelance writing opportunities. So, in the search field, he might type, “freelance writing jobs.”
The search engine will then automatically search through large indexes or databases that contain millions of sites found on the Internet. When it finds applicable sites (as in this example, sites containing freelance writing jobs), the search engine will return a list based on these key words for the user to review.
This sounds simple enough, right? But, like with any map, you have to review it carefully to make sure it is giving you the proper directions. Every map is different, and maps will change overtime, so some information may be outdated without you even realizing it. The same is true for search engines.
Site Search Tool or Internet Search Engine
While traveling, you may use different types of maps. If traveling within a city, you would probably not use an Atlas, but rather you would use a smaller city map. If traveling from state to state, you may use a combination of city and state maps and even refer to an Atlas from time to time. Search engines also vary. If you are in a particular web site, you may find a search tool. This site search tool will normally only return results for pages within that particular web site (just like using a city map when traveling locally). Don’t confuse site search tools with Internet search engines. Internet search engines are specific sites dedicated to searching the entire Internet (like an Atlas map), not just a small area.
Basic Elements of a Useful Internet Search Engine
The Internet has many different search engines. Some well-known search engines that you might be familiar with are:
Google
Yahoo
Ask Jeeves
Lycos
Excite
Alta Vista
Though extremely popular, these are not the only search engine sites available by far.
What makes one search engine better than another? This is hard to say since it usually comes down to a user’s personal preference. Each search engine may have a slightly different layout (as they try to appeal to the widest audience possible), but at a bare minimum, it should have:
Simple Search Field: On the home page of each Internet search engine, the first thing that should catch your eye is a big empty search field. The most popular search engine sites use this design because they realize this is the main reason most visitors come to their site. It makes it easy for the user to locate the starting point for their search without having to dig through the page to find the proper search field. Since this is a simple search field, you just type in your key words. You don’t have to worry about proper capitalization or commas. Then, press the search (or find) button (the title for the button will vary from search engine to search engine) to get your results.
Advanced Search Options: Next to the simple search field, there is usually a link for advanced search options. When clicking this link, a new web page will appear with additional tools to narrow (or target) the search for: exact words, entire phrases, specific domains (sites ending in .com, .net, .edu, etc.), safe sites (to block adult or related sites from being listed in the results) and more. These advanced features are recommended for experienced Internet users, but are really not necessary for the average user.
Local Search Options: This is a tool that allows the user to search for results in a specific geographical area quickly and easily. Not all search engines have this feature, but if available, it can be a powerful tool. Normally, this feature is found by clicking a Local link on the home page of the search engine. This will then display a new page (or search fields) where a user can type in key words in one field and in the second field, type in a specific city and state or zip code. This option expands the simplicity of a simple search field option without the complexity of using advanced options. It’s a great tool to locate information on schools, businesses, entertainment, services, etc., near where you (or family members) live (or where you may want to specifically visit).
Safe Search Controls: This option can usually be found when using advanced search options. If your browser doesn’t have any parental controls in place, the site search engine should have this option. It will allow the user to block adult (or sites that may contain offensive or related) content from being listed in the results. This feature is one that is definitely worth learning how to use.
Easy-to-Read Search Results: Once you click the search button, the Internet search engine will return a list of results based upon your search criteria. The way the list is displayed, of course, depends upon the search engine site. Generally, though, the list will include a link to and a brief description of the site. Here’s where you need to be careful. Search engines have their own policies for what order results are listed, so the first several links in the list may or may not be where you want to go. And, the list of results may go on for several pages. Don’t let this confuse you. A good search engine should provide enough of a description with the link to help you decide if it is worth checking out. To go directly to the site in the list, just click the link. If it is not what you what you were looking for, you can usually click the browser’s Back button to return to your search engine list of results right where you left off.
Internet Search Engine Detours
No matter how well designed an Internet search engine might be, it also has some potholes that can make your travels bumpy or detours that you may want to avoid.
Congested Home Page: Nothing is more nerve-racking than gridlock (or getting stuck in rush hour traffic). In my opinion, when I first arrive at a search engine home page, I want to get to my destination as quickly as possible. Show me the search field with a search button so I can be on my way. If I want to read additional content, let me choose when I want to. Don’t shove it in my face when I first enter the site. Unfortunately, some search engine home pages don’t get it. They try to provide too much content right away. True, some of the content may be useful at some point, but when trying to navigate quickly from point A to point B, all this additional information can sometimes be too distracting.
Featured or Sponsored Links: As discussed previously, each search engine has their own policies for how they will list search results. Yes, search engines have to make money in order to exist, and one way they do it is by allowing site owners to pay to have their listings displayed at or near the top of the results. In some cases, these links will be displayed in a special section on one side of the list of the results as well. Keep in mind; these sites are usually looking to sell something. So, if you are doing some online shopping, go ahead and visit them. But, if you are not, steer clear.
References to Sites That Don’t Make Sense: Let’s say you are doing some research on your family tree. So, you go to a search engine and type in your last name. In the results, you might find references to online auctions such as eBay.com or Amazon.com (for example) with links to find more information on your last name. Of course, this doesn’t make any sense. What would an online auction have to do with researching your last name? What you are seeing in the results is another form of a paid advertisement that will take one or more of your key words that you used to search on and auto-fill it in a results list. This may not necessarily be limited to online auction sites, but other commercial sites as well. So, when you see search result descriptions that don’t make sense; don’t waste your time.
Hidden Adult Content Sites: No matter how good a search engine is, you may still find yourself going to a web page that contains offensive (or adult) material even though this was not what was listed in the search results page. Though not frequent, it is not unheard of. When it does happen, you should immediately contact the owners or managers of the search engine. Look on the search engine page for an About or Contact Us link and follow the instructions for providing the link to this type of page. Normally, these types of web pages will immediately be removed from the index or database of the search engine once a user reports it.
Links to Pages Buried in a Web Site or Results Pointing to the Same Site: As you use search engines more and more, you may find that when you click a link, you go to a page buried in a web site (and not necessarily the home page). Or, you may find multiple references to the same site. This is one of the drawbacks of search engines. Each web page (though part of a bigger site) is indexed individually. So, if you find yourself buried in the middle of a site, the easiest way to navigate to the site’s home page is by looking at the address line in your browser. Then, delete all the characters after the domain extension (.com, .edu, .net, .biz or whatever it is) and press the Enter key. This will take you to the site’s main page.
Links to Nonexistent Web Pages: You click a link from your list of results only to encounter a “Page Cannot Be Found” error. This happens because (for whatever reason), the web page no longer exists. This is not uncommon since the Internet is constantly changing. No search engine is perfect. Even the best of them contain outdated references. So, don’t let this discourage you, it’s bound to happen.
Outdated Web Pages: As you review your list of search results, pay careful attention to the date stamp (if available) on each of the web sites you visit. A good search engine will usually list the most current sites first. But, depending upon what you are looking for, this may not always be true. You wouldn’t use an outdated map while driving around, would you? So, pay careful attention when visiting sites. If the date is not located in the list of descriptions for the search results, you can usually find it somewhere on the site.
A Super Atlas Search Engine
Like any good map, an Internet search engine is extremely useful while trying to get to where you want to go while online. As you use the many different search engines available, you may start to realize that you get some different results from search engine to search engine. Why does this happen? This is mainly due to the fact that each search engine site has its own proprietary (and extensive) index or database of Internet sites; each maintained by their own team of search engine professionals. Some search engines may list results from their competitors, while others may not. So what do you do if you want to get as many results as possible without having to take the time to use multiple search engines, comparing results? Is it even possible? Yes, it is.
Dogpile.com is one example of (what I call) a Super Search Engine. Don’t let the name fool you. This site looks like and contains features very similar to other well-known Internet search engines, but with one important difference. When you perform a search at this site, you have the option to review results from other search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, etc., at the same time. This site’s motto is: “All the best search engines piled into one.”
This type of site is a great resource for power users, or for those who want to obtain the most results possible from multiple sources all at the same time. The drawback, though, is that since this type of site allows you to search multiple search engines, the results may be a bit overwhelming to view or effectively steer through.
Mapping Your Own Course
The key to any enjoyable trip, whether it be driving in town, across the country or navigating the Internet, is a proper guidance tool. For the simple travelers, a good search engine is valuable starting point. For those more adventurous, an exploration of a super search engine may be just your style. Remember, no search engine site is perfect. So, fasten your seatbelts, follow these traveling tips to avoid unwanted detours, and enjoy your trek along the information superhighway.