Web Search Tools | Here Are the Basics

Three basic web search tools to help you find what you are looking for online When you start using the web, it can be quite overwhelming to understand the tools that are best to use to find what you are looking for. There are so many options: how do I find something online? How can I stay safe while you’re online?

Web Search Tools | Here Are the Basics
Web Search Tools | Here Are the Basics

Web Search Tools | Here Are the Basics

How can I see what I want to see without a lot of clutter? The mast is definitely a double-edged sword. while the availability of information is absolutely amazing, it can also be quite intimidating if you do not know how to get it in a way that makes sense.

Here are the basic tools that can help you organize information on the web into more meaningful channels. There are three basic types of search tools that most people use to find what they are looking for online (there are more than that, but these are the basics that everyone should start with):

  • Search engines
  • Topics Directories
  • Meta search tools

None of these search tools allow you to search the entire web. this would be an almost impossible task. However, you can use these web search tools to clear different parts of the web, obtain different types of information, and broaden your web search horizons.

Web search with search engines

Search engines are big, spider (software programs) have created web databases that help researchers find specific information on a given topic. You enter a keyword or phrase and the search engine retrieves the pages that match the search query.

The search results collected by these search engines are not always relevant to the keywords entered, as these search engines are not intuitive and cannot dynamically explain what you are looking for (although the results are getting better and better more and more).

This is why it is important to learn how to search as efficiently as possible using techniques such asBoolean searchor basic Google search techniques.

The interpretation of relevance is different in each search engine. Many search engines have included categories to direct users to more relevant sites based on these specific topics. Want to know more about search engines?

Check out my article titled How to Choose a Search Engine – 101 Search Engines, or discover literally hundreds of search engines with the Ultimate Search Engine Directory.

Search the Web for directories

Object directories are generally smaller and more selective than search engines. They use categories to focus your search and their sites are ranked by category and not just by keywords. The subject lists are easy to use for extensive searches as well as for finding specific sites.

The main purpose of most catalog items is to be informative rather than commercial. A good example of a search directory is Yahoo, a combined search engine / search directory / search portal or one of the original search directories, Open Directory or DMOZ for short.

Web Search with Metasearch Engines

Metasearch engines get search results from various search engines. Users will get the best views on their keywords from any search engine.

Metasearch tools are a good place to start for very broad results, but they do not (usually) give the same quality results as using any search engine and directory.

Web Search Tools – The Basics

In a very small shell, these are the three main web search tools you can use to explore the web. Once you are familiar with them, you can go to specialized or vertical search engines, specialized directories, user-generated content nodes, bookmarking social networking sites … the list is endless. Here are just some of the resources you might want to try:

  • Search Engines: Here are the ten most popular search engines. You are sure to find one here that will suit your unique search needs.
  • Invisible Web: There is so much more to the web than what you can find with search engines, and that is the invisible web.
  • Social Media: Internet connection is one of the most popular things to do. Find a group that shares your interests.

Also, if you want to learn more about basic web search, try Web Search 101. Here you will find all kinds of great web search introductory material here to help you become a more confident researcher.

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