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Techniques for using search engines effectively to find reliable information quickly.
Imagine the internet is a library with over (one trillion) pages, but there are no librarians to help you. How would you find the exact page you need in less than a second?
Before you even type a word into a search bar, the search engine has already done a lot of work. It uses special software programs called crawlers (sometimes called 'spiders'). These crawlers follow links from one page to another, 24 hours a day. They take notes on everything they find and bring that information back to a giant digital filing cabinet called an index. When you search for something, you aren't searching the 'live' web; you are searching this massive index. It's like a book's index, but it covers billions of pages! If a crawler hasn't visited a site yet, it won't show up in your search results.
Quick Check
What is the name of the software that travels from link to link to discover new web pages?
Answer
Crawlers (or spiders).
To get the best results, you need to use the right keywords. These are the most important words in your request. If you search for how to take care of a small dog, the search engine looks for all those words. However, if you want an exact match, you use quotation marks. Putting your words in "quotes" tells the search engine: 'Find these exact words in this exact order.' This is perfect for finding song lyrics, famous quotes, or specific names.
1. Open a search engine. 2. Type: chocolate chip cookie recipe. You will get millions of results for any cookies with chocolate. 3. Now type: "Best Grandma's Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie". 4. Notice how the second search gives you much more specific results because it looks for that exact phrase.
Quick Check
If you want to find the exact lyrics to a song, what should you put around the words?
Answer
Quotation marks.
Not every result on the page is there because it's the best answer. Companies pay money to have their websites show up at the very top. These are called paid advertisements or 'sponsored' results. Below the ads, you will find the organic results. These are the pages the search engine thinks are the most helpful and reliable. Always look for small labels like 'Ad', 'Sponsored', or 'Promoted' before you click. Usually, the most trustworthy information is found in the organic results.
Imagine you search for best running shoes. 1. The first two results have a small bold word that says Ad next to the website address. 2. The third result is an article from a sports magazine without an 'Ad' label. 3. The third result is an organic result, while the first two are paid placements.
You need to find the height of the Eiffel Tower for a project, but you keep seeing ads for travel agencies. 1. Use specific keywords: Eiffel Tower height meters. 2. Use quotes for precision: "exact height of the Eiffel Tower". 3. Ignore the first two results labeled Sponsored. 4. Click the link from a museum or encyclopedia (.edu or .gov sites are often great!) found in the organic section.
Where does a search engine look when you type in a query?
Which search will return the fewest, most specific results?
The first result on a search page is always the most reliable source of information.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, try to explain to a friend or parent what a 'web crawler' is and why it's like a digital spider.
Practice Activity
Try searching for your favorite movie title with and without quotation marks. See how the number of results changes!