Why Your Searching Sucks(and How to Break Your Google.com Addiction)

Why Your Searching Sucks(and How to Break Your Google.com Addiction)

Hi. My name is Garrett Wasny, an Internet presenter and author based in Vancouver, Canada.

No disrespect, but can I ask you a personal question?

When you search the Internet, do you type a word or two into Google.com, hit enter and hope for the best?

You don’t know what you’re missing! You don’t know what you’re missing!

Google.com barely scratchesthe surface of, well, Google.

Google.com is just one of 200+ search tools that are part of Google.

Depending which Google tools you use and how you use them, you’ll get totally different results.

While Google’s search services are probably the best ever, they’re still not perfect.

Google cannot keep pace with online growth and indexes less than one percent of the Internet.

Google has a high failure rate: 40% of users say search results often do not match what they want.

Google can be overwhelming: 33% say too many results are returned.

Google is too commercial: 31% say too many results are ads.

What does all this mean?

If you think web searching is a no-brainer, think again …

Finding credible information online is difficult and about to get even tougher.

Information volume is exploding …Information volume is exploding …

Web-connected devices are multiplying …

The stakes are rising …

Google cannot keep pace with online growth and indexes less than one percent of the Internet.

New post-Enron legislation is imposing new standards on how information is to be shared, online and off.

More users are turning to search engines for guidance on critical life decisions from major investments to health …

In some cases, online searches have literally life and death importance, and the impact and influence of search results becomes staggering.

In some cases, online searches have literally life and death importance, and the impact and influence of search results becomes staggering.

In some cases, online searches have literally life and death importance, and the impact and influence of search results becomes staggering.

The result: a “Google.com only”search strategy is no longer sustainable.

… it means you’re not only missing 99% of Google, you’re missing 99% of the Internet!

… it means you’re not only missing 99% of Google, you’re missing 99% of the Internet!

… it means increased risks …

Many professionals now use the Internet as their eyes and ears on the world.

Many professionals now use the Internet as their eyes and ears on the world.

If they rely on online information that is incorrect, incomplete or out of date ...

… errors and bad decisions will result.

… it means you’re missing key online signals about coming changes or emerging opportunities …

… which makes you vulnerable to competitors who see things online that you can’t.

… it means lost value …… it means lost value …

… using only Google.com to search the web is like a farmer harvesting only 1% of a field …

… you’re extracting only a tiny fraction of value from a key asset: your Internet connection.

So how do you break the Google.com addiction?

First step: stop looking at the world exclusively through Google.com-colored glasses.

Google.com

Google.com

I’m not saying totally abandon it. Just introduce other web scanning toolsinto your Internet search “rotation.”

Start by exploring the hundreds of other search applications on Google.

These include Google Alerts, Google Reader, Google News and Google Scholar – all totally underrated search appsthat dig up content that Google.com does not.

Tinker with Google’s Advanced Search, particularly searching by phrase, file type, domain and link …

These are little-known but powerful search boosters that will take you to next level of online intelligence gathering.

Another way to dramatically increase relevancy is to use tags: brief descriptive terms you include with your keyword in your search string.

Don’t stop there. Take a Google break and test drive other types of search tools.

These include vertical search engineswhich focus on a specific industry or business function.

Exchanges allow you to search web auctions and other online transaction activity.

Exchanges allow you to search web auctions and other online transaction activity.

Social networks key on peer-to-peer communications and profiles. Social networks key on peer-to-peer communications and profiles.

Q&A communitiesare member-driven knowledge markets.

Q&A communitiesare member-driven knowledge markets.

Information moshpits are searchable archives of user-generated content, much of which is business related and surprisingly good.

Information moshpits are searchable archives of user-generated content, much of which is business related and surprisingly good.

Public and corporate record directories are other online treasure troves, much of which remain invisible to Google.

Public and corporate record directories are other online treasure troves, much of which remain invisible to Google.

Organizations should budget time and resources to demo these and other search tools and techniques to staff at ALL levels …

They’ll learn how to gather more and better web information in less time, and make your organization more productive.

They’ll learn how to gather more and better web information in less time, and make your organization more productive.

I hope this brief presentation was useful. Thanks for your interest.

FYI, I deliver a half-day professional development event called Advanced Internet Research Techniques. For details, contact me at gw@garrettwasny.com