Helpful Search Tips

Easy Searcher's Helpful Hints for the New User

Select a Topic:

*How To Fill In The Easy Searcher 1 Search Page and Interpret the Search Results
*Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
*Easy Searcher 1 Search Page

How To Fill In The Easy Searcher 1 Search Page & Interpret the Search Results


  1. The Easy Searcher 1 Search Page contains search request forms for 7 different internet search engines. Choose a search engine on which you would like to begin your search and click in the empty text box of that search engine.
    This will allow you to type in the text box.


  2. Type keyword(s) into the empty text box.

    Keywords are specific words related to the topic you are searching for. Remember, search software just matches words and the best searches use words that are likely to appear in the target document.

    *Common words (such as: it, for, at, etc.) are generally ignored by the search engine. Using specific words related to your topic will yield the best results.
    *It is not necessary to use the word "and" between your keywords. The Easy Searcher 1 form assumes there is an "and" between all your words.
    *The best results can generally be obtained by using no more then four or five keywords and placing the most important words first.


  3. Click on the search button.
    The search engine will search for all the words you input and match them against it's own database.


  4. Your search result will appear in a new browser window.

    The search engines will vary in the way they display your search results. The engine software will sort the web pages based on how closely they match your keywords. The closest matches will be at the top of your list generally after paid ads. Some engines place a number to the left of the web page titles to show a level of confidence in the match, the higher the number, the more confident the engine is that the result is a good match.

    The type of information a database contains can have significant effects on the search. A particular keyword may work well on one database and poorly on another. Therefore, the results you receive will relate directly to the keywords you use. To improve your searching technique it is helpful to compare the search results you receive when you use different keywords, or when you change the number of words you use.


  5. To retrieve (go to) a site on your search result list:
    Click on the title of the site. The web site will appear on your screen. You can now browse or bookmark that site.


  6. To return to your search result list:
    Click on your browser's "BACK" button until you get back to the page with your search result list.


  7. To retrieve (go to) another site on your search result list:
    Repeat step 5.


  8. To conduct another search on the same search engine:
    Click on your browser's "BACK" button until you return to the Easy Searcher 1 Search Page. If the search engine's search request form still contains your old keyword(s), click on the reset button and begin again as you did in step 1.


  9. To conduct a search on a different search engine:
    Click on your browser's "BACK" button until you return to the Easy Searcher 1 Search Page and begin again with step 1 on the new engine.


  10. If you are not satisfied with your search result(s):
    Reread about keywords in step 2 and try to refine your search.

*Go to the Easy Searcher 1 Search Page

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why does each search engine give a different result even though I use the same keywords?

Search engines create databases by accepting submissions from web sites and/or by using their own software program to search the internet. When you run a search on a particular search engine you are searching only that engine's database (listing) of what is on the internet. Every search engine has compiled a different database. Therefore, each search engine will yield a different result.

2. Why did Easy Searcher choose these particular search engines?

The search engines selected for Easy Searcher 1 have been chosen because they have quick response times, they are frequently updated, they have extensive and reliable databases and they yield informative search results with Easy Searcher 1.

3. Why is Easy Searcher 1 a good search page for the new user?s ask you to use "keyword(s)" and the engine will match the "keyword(s)" you typed in against the words in its database. Other engines require that you search by a phrase or a subject. In addition, search engines differ in that some will search for only web pages, only newsgroups, only gopher (text files) sites, only ftp (file transfer protocol, downloading files) sites or some combination of these sites. Each engine is different and each type of site is different. Learning all of this can be confusing and overwhelming to a new user of the internet.

Easy Searcher 1 was devised so the new internet user could start browsing, searching and enjoying the internet without having to be concerned with each search engine's individual peculiarities. The Easy Searcher 1 Search Page is designed to work with all the selected search engines and the input is by "keyword(s)". This eliminates both the need to work with multiple types of search forms and the sometimes impossible task of selecting the correct subject to input. In addition, Easy Searcher 1 is designed to search primarily for web pages, which is what both new and seasoned users are generally interested in finding.

*Go to the Easy Searcher 1 Search Page
*Go to the Easy Searcher Search Page
*Go to the Easy Searcher Home Page