WEEK 2: Internet Search Engines
Internet Search engines are websites or software that enable a person to find documents or other media on the internet. It can also be defined as software programs that help users find information stored on a personal computer or a network of computers such as the Internet. The information may consist of images, files, web addresses, or links etc.
Internet Search Engine Terms
1. Search query: Also known as 'user search string', this is the word or set of words that are typed by the user in the search bar of the search engine.
2. Search Engine Results Page (SERP): A search engine results page (SERP) is the page displayed by a search engine in response to a query by a searcher. The main component of the SERP is the listing of results that are returned by the search engine in response to a keyword query.
Examples of Internet Search Engines and their websites
| Search Engine | Website Address |
|---|---|
| www.google.com | |
| Bing | www.bing.com |
| Yep | www.yep.com |
| You | www.you.com |
| Yahoo | www.yahoo.com |
| Openverse | www.openverse.org |
| ASK.COM | www.ask.com |
| Startpage | www.startpage.com |
| DuckDuckGo | www.duckduckgo.com |
| Swisscows | www.swisscows.com |
| Yandex | www.yandex.com |
| Baidu | www.baidu.com |
| Naver | www.naver.com |
| Sogou | www.sogou.com |
| SearX | searx.thegpm.org |
| WolframAlpha | www.wolframalpha.com |
| Neeva | neeva.com |
| Brave | search.brave.com |
| Gibiru | gibiru.com |
| AOL search | search.aol.com |
| Webcrawler | www.webcrawler.com |
Uses of Search Engines
Search engines are often used to:
1. Find pages, files, news, images, and other data on the web
2. Download educational materials like lecture notes and tutorials in any subject of your choice
3. Download music and video
4. Get maps and directions
5. Display advertisements.
How Search Engines Work
Search engines work by performing three main tasks to find and organize information on the internet:
Crawling: Search engines use small programs called "crawlers" or "spiders" to read and follow links on billions of web pages. They discover new pages and updates to old ones.
Indexing: After a page is crawled, the search engine stores a copy of it in a giant database called an "index." This index acts like a huge library catalog, keeping a record of every page and what it's about.
Ranking: When you type in a search query, the search engine looks through its index to find the most relevant results. It then ranks these pages to show you the best ones first.
To get the best results and stay safe while searching, follow these tips:
1. Use Specific Keywords: Instead of searching for "dogs," try "how to train a puppy" to get more useful results.
2. Use Quotation Marks for Exact Phrases: If you are looking for an exact phrase, put it in quotes. For example, search for `"World Wide Web"` to find pages that contain those three words together.
3. Evaluate Your Sources: Not all information on the internet is reliable. Check to see if the website is from a trusted source, like a school (.edu), a government agency (.gov), or a well-known organization.
4. Be Cautious with Links: Never click on suspicious links, especially if they appear in pop-up ads or from unknown sources.
5. Check the URL: Before you click, look at the website address (URL) in the search result. A strange or incorrect URL might lead you to a fake website.
