How To Search The Web More Effectively

Would you like to find information more rapidly and with less frustration?

Scanning the Web for useful data can be annoying. Type in a search with parameters that are too large, and you can get thousands and thousands of results. Too narrow, and you come up wanting.

These 5 Simple Strategies Can Help To Save You Time and Trouble

With these handy tricks and strategies, you are more likely to be able to find precisely what you’re looking for. These are some of my favorites:

1) First, the basics: are you using addition & subtraction to your advantage?
– Lots of you do this already, but it’s worth a reminder. Type your search phrases in using quotations and then separate them with the plus sign (for words you want to add) or minus sign (for words you would like to exclude).

Example: when I type in my name “marketing” -”Nova Scotia”, I get a bunch of results related to the real me (head of one of the best marketing consulting firms in America) in contrast to a notable elderly Canadian professor who is also apparently a top-class ceramics expert.

2) Dig out useful reports and presentations using “filetype:”
– There is a treasure-trove of data tucked away in reports and presentations, and if you just do a basic Google search like the one above, you may be less able to find this valuable information. Instead , type in your search phrases with filetype:pdf, filetype:doc, or filetype:ppt to discover some real gems.

Example:if you go to www.google.com and do a search on “toothpaste” “trends” filetype:pdf, you’ll find some intriguing goodies. Try it again with filetype:doc and filetype:ppt. You will get different— but still extremely relevant- – results.

3) Use finance.yahoo.com as a springboard for current corporate info.
– Sites like www.Hoovers.com can sell you detailed company reports. If you are just hunting for a good overview , however , you’ll find it for free at www.finance.yahoo.com.

Example: Enter “General Mills Incorporated” to get a sense of the helpful data that Yahoo can retrieve for you. (Naturally, you may also wish to go to a firm’s exact internet site to take a look at its yearly reports, press releases, & communication priorities).

4) Read highly-detailed industry information in free articles and archives.
– When was the last time you sat down and read ‘Chain Drug Review ‘ cover to cover? How about the Cincinnati ‘Business Courier ‘? They may or may not be particularly useful to you on a consistent basis, but when you want specific information, trade magazines and local business journals can be essential; www.findarticles.com and www.bizjournals.com/search are my fave sites for finding pertinent industry info.

Build On This:If you find a periodical that’s especially useful to you, you can search its online archives super-quickly. Let’s imagine you have discovered that ‘Progressive Grocer ‘ is extremely helpful to you as a consumer packaged goods marketer, and you have an interest in learning about the dog food market. Just go to www.google.com and then type in “dog food” site:www.progressivegrocer.com. You’ll get everything which has the words “dog food” on the whole www.progressivegrocer.com website- – 295 results.

5) Use www.whitepages.com to find addresses or discover who called you (reverse telephone number searches).

Putting Search Data in Its Place – A Stepping Stone for Better Primary Research
There you have it, 5 useful web search strategies. Top consulting firms use primary research to help corporations identify, appraise, and pursue new business ventures; this type of secondary research helps me ask smarter questions and get more helpful answers. Better information, better results. Try it today!

Marie Elwood is a marketing strategy consultant based in Atlanta, Georgia who helps her clients achieve their marketing objectives through first-class qualitative research.