Google
is clearly the best general-purpose search engine on the Web.But most
people don't use it to its best advantage. But Google is an remarkably
powerful tool that can ease and enhance your Internet exploration.
Google's search options go beyond simple keywords,the Web, and even its
own programmers. Let's look at some of Google's lesser-known options.
- Syntax Search Tricks: Using a special syntax is a way to tell Google that you want to restrict your searches to certain elements or characteristics of Web pages. Google has a fairly complete list of its syntax elements at
- Swiss Army Google: Google has a number of services that can help you accomplish tasks you may never have thought to use Google for. For example, the new calculator feature. www.google.com/help/features.html#calculator
- Contact someone using Google: Suppose you want to contact someone and don't have his phone number handy. Google can help you with that, too. Just enter a name, city, and state. (The city is optional, but you must enter a state.) If a phone number matches the listing, you'll see it at the top of the search results along with a map link to the address. If you'd rather restrict your results, use rphonebook: for residential listings or bphonebook: for business listings. If you'd rather use a search form for business phone listings, try Yellow Search.
- Extended Googling: Google offers several services that give you a head start in focusing your search. Google Groups http://groups.google.com indexes literally millions of messages from decades of discussion on Usenet.Google even helps you with your shopping via two tools: Froogle CODE http://froogle.google.com which indexes products from online stores, and Google Catalogs CODE http://catalogs.google.com which features products from more 6,000 paper catalogs in a searchable index. And this only scratches the surface. You can get a complete list of Google's tools and services at www.google.com/options/index.html.
- Google Alert: www.googlealert.com monitors your search terms and e-mails you information about new additions to Google's Web index. (Google Alert is not affiliated with Google; it uses Google's Web services API to perform its searches.) If you're more interested in news stories than general Web content, check out the beta version of Google News Alerts www.google.com/newsalerts
This
service (which is affiliated with Google) will monitor up to 50 news
queries per e-mail address and send you information about news stories
that match your query. (Hint: Use the intitle: and source: syntax
elements with Google News to limit the number of alerts you get.)
- Google on the telephone: Yup. This service is brought to you by the folks at Google Labs http://labs.google.com a place for experimental Google ideas and features (which may come and go, so what's there at this writing might not be there when you decide to check it out).
With Google Voice Search http://labs1.google.com/gvs.html you
dial the Voice Search phone number, speak your keywords, and then click
on the indicated link. Every time you say a new search term, the
results page will refresh with your new query (you must have JavaScript
enabled for this to work). Remember, this service is still in an
experimental phase, so don't expect 100 percent success.
- Google API: In 2002, Google released the Google API (application programming interface), a way for programmers to access Google's search engine results without violating the Google Terms of Service. A lot of people have created useful (and occasionally not-so-useful but interesting) applications not available from Google itself, such as Google Alert.
Thanks to its many different search properties, Google goes far beyond a regular search engine. Give the tricks in this article a try. You'll be amazed at how many different ways Google can improve your Internet searching.
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