Issue Date: July 22, 2001
Beyond Google
When I spoke recently with Net search expert Danny Sullivan, editor of SearchEngineWatch.com, I had one burning question: Given that Google is widely considered the hands-down simplest, fastest, most accurate search site, is there any reason to use anything else? His answer: Yes. "If people haven't tried Google yet, they must," he says. "But I always tell people to try a bunch of sites.
Don't stick to just one search engine, no matter how great.
|
"Think of it this way: Just as you wear different pairs of shoes for different occasions, certain search engines may be better for certain searches. If you have been sticking to the same search engines for a while, you may be pleasantly surprised."
Point taken. There are some great search engines that specialize. When looking for prices of digital cameras, for example, a shopping engine like BuyersIndex.com will take you straight to the stores that sell them -- far easier than wading through a long list of Web pages produced by a general search engine.
How to find the right search tool for your needs? The search engine of search engines is Lookoff.com. It tells you which sites are good for finding MP3s, stock tips, baseball stats, homework help and more. You'll also find useful search tips and tutorials.
Other worthwhile engines:
iLor.com uses Google's search technology to scour the Web, but goes one better by letting you conveniently create a list of links to visit without ever leaving the results page.
Teoma.com sorts results by topic. Search for "Brazil," for example, and you get headings such as "travel information," "news" and "nature."
Ditto.com searches for pictures.
Yahooligans.com features kid-appropriate sites.
Backwash.com is an entertaining Web directory that sorts sites by personality types such as "Film Buff," "Empty Nester" and "Frat Boy."
By Contributing Editor Rula Razek
|
