Tools to Make Online Search Easier

With Google dominating the US search industry popularity contest, it’s easy to forget about lesser-known search tools and enhancements.  For example, here are a few that regularly make my life easier and my search experience more useful:

1) Google Preview (Firefox plugin)

Google Preview, despite its unilateral name, works for both Google and Yahoo search results. This little plugin inserts a thumbnail screenshot image of the search result page, making the results list dramatically easier and faster to scan. Here’s how it looks in Google:

It also adds in a “popularity rank” bar, which draws on Alexa ranking data. I largely ignore these rankings, and they can be turned off entirely in the Google Preview preferences.

Here’s the link: Google Preview Plugin for Firefox

2) Showing more than 10 search results per page in Google

If you’re like me and often search for more obscure topics, you’ll typically dig past the first page of search results. In this circumstance it can be a pain to see only 10 results per page, but you can change this number in Google’s preferences. Here’s how to do it:

On the Google.com home page, click the small “Preferences” text link next to the search box

This brings up a preferences page, where you can set a number of options, including preferred language, Safe Search filtering, and Number of Results. You can opt to have Google display up to 100 results per page, which for me is a real time-saver.

NOTE: you must set these preferences on each computer and each browser you use.

3) DogPile.com

For a long time I was irrationally put off by the name of this search tool, but once I overcame my squeamishness and started using it, I’ve found it a valuable comparison tool for more obscure, non-commercial topics. Dogpile displays combined results pulled from the major search engines, annotating each listing with the original source of the result. Here’s how a results page in DogPile.com looks:

My one caution about Dogpile is that it mixes paid advertising right in with the “natural” search listings. Even though these search results are annotated as “Sponsored by”, it can still be confusing and potentially misleading if you’re used to the separation of sponsored results as seen on the major search engines.

Visit DogPile here to try it out: DogPile.com

4) For more serious researchers, on Mac only: DEVONagent

A frustration for researchers using standard search engines is the lack of good filtering, archiving and organizational tools. Enter DEVONagent, a low-cost ($49.95 as of this writing) search agent for the Mac OS that adds helpful functionality such as intelligent result summary, search scheduling, and optional integration with a DEVONthink database. This software runs on your computer, pulling results from major and specialized search engines. Its functionality allows you to create a truly personalized results set, with suggestions for further exploration and expansion.

From the Devon Technologies site, here’s a screenshot example from the interface:

Check out DEVONagent here, including a free trial: DEVONagent

So many tools, so little time…

Of course, there are many other search-related tools available in addition to the ones I mention here. The key takeaway? If you’re curious by nature and love exploring the web, don’t assume that you’re limited to the results you see in the major search engines. However useful the standard search tools are, a few enhancements and alternative tools can improve your overall search experience.

Happy searching!