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Mastering Google: Account, Results, Algorithm, Preferences, and Operators

Learn how to use Google effectively with this comprehensive guide. Discover how to create a Google account, navigate search results, understand the search algorithm, customize your preferences, and use operators for advanced searches.

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Mastering Google: Account, Results, Algorithm, Preferences, and Operators

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  1. Search

  2. Contents • Introduction to Search • Google Account/Gmail • Results page • The Google search algorithm • Preferences • Forming a query • Operators • Other Google search applications • Other Google applications

  3. Introduction • What search engine(s) do you use? • What searches have you done lately? • Google is not necessarily the best search engine • http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/technology/personaltech/09pogue.html • However, if you can use Google well, you will know what to look for in other engines • For the rest of this lecture, let's get to know Google well, both its search and related capabilities. • From now on these lecture notes will disappear from the screen….

  4. Google Account/Gmail • A few Google facilities are available only to those with a Google account or gmail. • Blogger, YouTube comments, Google Groups, Web History, Google Docs • You can sign up for these facilities at www.google.com/accounts/login. • You can have an account without having gmail, using another email address. • Pros of Gmail • Available through any browser, 1GB storage, groups mails by subject, excellent search, good spam filter, nice add-ins. • Cons of Gmail • Lots of ads, possible privacy problems, no self-delivery, conversations cannot be split up.

  5. The Results Page Sponsored (PPC) Links Search Toolbar Results

  6. How are Google’s search results ordered? • Many (200+) factors considered by Google’s Algorithm • This algorithm is very important to businesses • Every business wants its page at the top! • Entire books, courses devoted to Search Engine Optimizaton: The art/science of getting your website at the top of results • Algorithm is tweaked by Google daily • Most important factor in algorithm: Page Rank • Page Rank is named after Larry Page, one of its inventors. Larry and Sergey Brin founded Google. • Google blew away the competition because it had Page Rank; no other search engine did.

  7. What is Page Rank?* • Very roughly, the page rank of a page is the number of pages that link to that page • See those pages with the operator link: • http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/operators.html#link

  8. What else is in Google's Algorithm? • Google will rank "your" page high in the results of a search for some keywords if: • The keywords are in prominent places on your page • Prominent = page title, headings, meta tags, text • Meta tags are part of the HTML of a page, not viewable by a user • The pages, pointing to your page, have many links pointing to them, i.e. have high page rank. • This is part of the definition of Page Rank • The keywords are close together on your page • The keywords are in the anchors of the pages pointing to your page • Now we'll move on to learning how to use Google search

  9. Search History • Each browser keeps a history of the pages you have searched in that browser, on that computer. • Helpful to autocomplete when you type • This has nothing to do with google. • You can disable or clear that history feature. • Firefox: • Clear: Tools/Clear recent history • Click details and clear only the browsing and download history • Disable: Tools/Options/Privacy/Clear history when Firefox closes • Other browsers: http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=465

  10. Web History • This is a history of your google searches. • You can turn it on when you register your Google account, and access it at www.google.com/history • You can search it, remove items from it, see trends in your google search history

  11. Preferences • On Google's home page, at the upper right corner, click settings/search settings • Note languages, number of results • Query suggestions • Uses advertisements as well as your web history • SearchWiki: Customize your searches!

  12. Forming a Query • What you don’t want: Use the minus sign, - • Ari Shapiro –NPR • Omits all the Ari Shapiros not at NPR • A phrase: Use quotes “…” • “Dan Shapiro” • omits all the "Dans" and the "Shapiros" • Something you must include: Use a plus + • Len Shapiro +”Portland State University” • Shows only the Len Shapiros at PSU • Show only certain filetypes: filetype: • Google filetype:ppt • Look within a certain domain:site: • Cyberculture site:www.pdx.edu • Do this and more on the Advanced Search page • www.google.com/advanced_search

  13. Operators on Keyword(s) • Don't put a space after the colon! • Intitle:"tree removal" • Displays only sites whose titles include the phrase "tree removal" • Define:personable • Gives definitions from the web

  14. Operators on URLs • Don't put a space after the colon! • Cache:www.cs.pdx.edu/~len • To see an old copy of my web page • Related:www.portlandfoodanddrink.com • To find similar pages

  15. Miscellaneous Operators • Phonebook:Leonard Shapiro Portland Oregon • Movie:97223 • Weather:portland,oregon • Special number searches • UPS, FedEx, USPS, VIN, ISBN • www.google.com/intl/en/help/features.html

  16. Which Principles does Google embody? • Data Rules: The value of an application is increased by the scale and dynamism of the data it manages • The long tail: Small products/ideas make up the great majority of all products/ideas. • Use your Users: Enable users to contribute content to the application • The Power of Groups: Apply the wisdom of users to solve problems • Enable Community: Enable users to share their experiences in your application • Folksonomy, not Taxonomy: Utilize user-generated tags to classify items, instead of expertly generated categories

  17. Other Google Search Applications • Important: Use your search skills • Images • Tiger -white • Videos: youtube and more! • News (location: , source: ) • Shopping • Groups (author: group: insubject: ) • Scholar • Finance • Blogs

  18. Other Google Applications • Maps, www.maps.google.com • Similar to mapquest or maps.yahoo.com, but has satellite/terrain views • Earth • Must download as a separate application • As if you could fly anywhere and see below you • Documents & Spreadsheets • Similar to Microsoft Word & Excel • Not quite compatible • E.g., if you load a Word document into G, it may not display completely • Google Docs was meant to be a new word processor, not a copy of Word • http://tinyurl.com/2k32sh • Documents stored on the Web • Easy to share with others • Price is right • Gmail • We've seen thisbefore

  19. More Google Applications • Calendar • Stored on the web • Easy to share with others • Google Alerts (under even more) • Be informed (email) when anything (keyword based) happens • Picasa: Photo editing, sharing • Directory: directory.google.com • Another way to search the web • Oldie but goodie

  20. Other search engines • Wolfram alpha: www.wolframalpha.com • Computational knowledge engine • Try ../examples • A recent article ranking customer satisfaction with search engines: http://tinyurl.com/lvnca2

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