Here’s a gaggle of Google tips for you: advanced Google News searching; a new international version; and how to plug Googleholes.
ADVANCED GOOGLE NEWS SEARCHING:
Google News fans should rejoice at this first tidbit: The best news search engine got much-needed improvement this week with the addition of an advanced search page.
- from specific news sources
- from news sources located in a specific state or country
- containing an exact phrase
- containing your terms only in the headline, body, or URL
- and perhaps most useful, by date
GLOBAL GOOGLE NEWS UPDATE:
Since I wrote about Google News adding international versions (Google News Australia, Google News Canada, Google News India, Google News New Zealand, and Google News United Kingdom), Google News has added a German version.
PLUGGING GOOGLEHOLES
Poynter’s Larry Larsen points out an interesting article on Slate about Googleholes, “certain types of requests (that) foil the Google search system or produce results that frustrate more than satisfy.” An example from the article: Search for “apple” and you have to sift through more than 50 results before you find one related to the fruit rather than Apple Computer. The best way to avoid problems like this and plug the Googleholes is to be specific in your searches. In other words, simply searching for “apple fruit” or “apple growers” eliminates just about all the Apple Computer links.
SUBMIT YOUR TIPS FOR PUBLICATION: What websites do you find most useful in your reporting? Send a description to tips@cyberjournalist.net (with your name and affiliation) and I may publish them.
JON’S LINKS:
