How Search WorksAn Introduction

What Does Google Do When You Search?

Search the index: When you click the Google Search button, Google races through its billions of web pages to find every page that contains the word or phrase or group of words you've used.

Analyze the web pages for relevance: Google screens web pages in the index to see which ones are most likely to have what you're looking for.

Evaluate each site's reputation: Google looks at how often other websites link to these pages to determine how popular or useful each one is.

Rank the web pages: Having scrutinized the web pages in terms of their relevance to your search words, Google presents your results, with what we believe are the most useful pages at the top.

Understanding Search

Finding the Right Keywords to Use

What Matters In My Search Query?

Think of a topic or question you would like

to search for.

Pick three or four keywords to use in your

search query.

What happens if you reorder them? Add

capitalization or punctuation? What if you

take out a word?

What Matters In My Search Query?

1 Every word matters.

Try searching for [who], [the who], and [a who]

2 Order matters.

Try searching for [blue sky] and [sky blue]

3 Capitalization does not matter.

Try searching for [barack obama] and [Barack Obama]

4 Punctuation does not matter.

Try searching for [red: delicious! apple?] and [red delicious apple]

* There are some exceptions!

Can you think of any? Click here for a few examples.

Keyword Search

How do you come up with the right words to

search for? Can you remember a time when

you had trouble finding what you were

looking for? What makes certain searches

hard?

Tips For Better Searches

Use descriptive, specific words. Avoid general or common words.

3

Think of how the page you want will be written. Use words that are

likely to appear on the page.2

Keep it simple. Describe what you want in as few terms as

possible.1

Think Before You Search

What am I looking for?

How would I talk about this?

How would someone else talk about this?

What keywords could I use in my

search query?

Which of these keywords are common or

general words? Which would be more

specific? Are there better words I could

use?

What kind of results am I looking for?

Do I want a definition, a database, a list, a

map, an image, a video, or something else?

How can I describe this

better?

What do I want? What am I trying to

find? What am I trying to find out?

Give It A Try!

Remember:

Keep it simple.

Use descriptive words.

Think of how the page you

want will be written.

And most importantly:

Think before you search!

Pick a topic you want to find out about and brainstorm keywords to use in your search query.

Entering a SearchDo You Feel Lucky?

Homepage

Say What You Want

What happened?

A "query" is the word or phrase you search for in Google.

Enter your query here

Click this buttonor hit "enter"

Another Search Option

What happened?

Try clicking "I'm Feeling Lucky."

Different Search Tools

                Have you used these?

Advanced Search

Visit the Advanced Search page. Enter a search using several of the search options offered there.

What do you notice?

Language Tools

Visit the Language Tools page and see what the different sections of the page do.

Try the Translate Search section. Visit Google in another country.

Where did you go? 

Reading Your ResultsSearch Engine Results Page

The Search Engine Results Page

Search bar

Left panel Organic (natural) search results

Sponsored links (ads)

Reading Individual Search Results

Give It a Try!

If you had a website, what would a search engine show about your site?

Write a fictional search result, complete with title, snippet, web address, and similar links.

Defining CredibilityAn Introduction

Credibility

How do you know something is true? 

It Can Be How You Look At Things...

•Site #1: Average of 382,500 km•Site #2: Average of 384,403 km•Site #3: Between 225,622 and 252,088 miles•Site #4: Average of 238,857 miles

Same search, different answers:

Why do you think these are different?

Tips: What To Think About

3

What do I know about the author or organization 

    providing this information?2

How much do I care for a precise, quality answer?   How much should I save up to buy that new phone?

    What do I need to know for my report on the Civil War?

    I want some recipe for homemade kettle corn?

1

Why was this page created?    To inform me    To persuade me    To sell me something    To undermine someone or something    For another reason

Tips: What To DoKnow who wrote and published the page    

    Find "About" page 

    Check web address

    Visit site's homepage

    Google the author/organization

    Use link:

    Ask: Is this the right person to give me good information?

l

    

1

Check your facts    Check multiple sources 

    Identify the type of page

    Look for bibliography

    Check the date

    Confirm in snopes.com

    Spot known errors

    Think: Use your common sense! 

    

2

Give It a Try!

 Use the tips you have learned and decide which of the websites are true and which are hoaxes:

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/

http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

http://www.dhmo.org/

http://www.golfcross.com/

Uncover the TruthPractice Differentiating Information from Disinformation

Credibility

Credibility is often harder to determine than simply identifying a hoax site.

Did NASA fake the moon landing?

Try this search:

Testing the Lunar Landing Hoax

Follow the first link:

http://www.ufos-aliens.co.uk/cosmicapollo.html

Check it out. Do you find this site credible? 

Give It a Try!Brainstorm and select a commonly debated potential fact. Do you believe it, or not? Do the research to decide....

Remember to ask:

Who is the author?

What is the page's purpose?

What are opposing viewpoints?

And most importantly:

What do your instincts tell you?