Competition Drives Innovation – Shortcuts Drive Happiness

By Matt Marshall, Paid Search Coordinator, Advertising Solutions

With constant heart-pumping drama unfolding in the search landscape, it isn’t hard to lose focus on some great features that search engines have been offering for a while. We get lost by asking Susie if Yahoo heart’s Microsoft. Like a good detective story, we are trying to crack the code on who will kill Google, with what and where (preferably it will not be with the candle stick… It’s just messy.) We deify, demonize and anthropomorphize the engines (although I like to think of Yahoo as a kitty…).

I’m not interested in Google killers. I’m interested in Search and cold hard capitalistic innovation. Bring on the competition, bring on the innovation. If this means WolframTwitterAlphaBing vs. Google… fine. More competition means better search, which means less time I need to spend searching for this.

(steps off soapbox and gets back to point of article)

Search Engine Shortcuts

As the engines become more intelligent many people tend to just slop in a few keywords and hope for the best. Many times this search method works. I say, not good enough. If you are the kind of person that likes to get things right the first time, you might like to check out a few of my favorite Search Shortcuts. For the simple fact that there are more than I care to take screen shots of, for this article I will provide the links to the full list at the end.

Definitions:

If you are looking for a definition forget busting out the Webster’s or risking carpal tunnel by typing in Dictionary.com, then typing in the word you need defined. Instead point your mouse to your nearest Google search box and type- define: keyword.

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Phone Numbers:

Can’t find the phonebook? Forgot your Grandma’s number? Go to Google and try phonebook: Gertrude Smith

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Movies:

Going to ask her to come to a movie with you? Try Movie: Terminator Salvation Chicago

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Weather:

Need to tell your Grammy if she needs to bring a shawl? Try Weather: Chicago

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With these great search shortcuts you are likely to save a lot of time (and have a super fun time with your Bubby.) For more, check out the links below. A few others I personally find useful are site: url (searches a specific domain) and old IN new (converts one metric to another – Example inches into miles).

Google
Yahoo
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