8 things you probably aren’t searching for… but should be

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8 things you probably aren’t searching for… but should be

By Simon Goudie ⋅ March 1, 2008 ⋅ Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Searching outside the box

There can often be more to a search engine than meets the eye. Sometimes, thinking a little bit outside the box when looking for information can yield some interesting results. Here’s eight things that you should be using search engines for, but probably aren’t:

1. Lyrics

If you’ve got a song playing over in you head, but can’t remember what the next line is, just search for what you do know. Chances are that it will be enough for the search results to point you to the rest of the lyics for the song, and probably for the artist’s entire catalogue. For a more entertaining version of this, try searching for mondegreens instead!

2. Recipes/cocktails

You can come at these from two directions – either type in the name of what you feel like making and let the internet bring in multiple recipes and variations for you to choose from, or type in what you have in the cupboard and see what recipes are returned based on those ingredients. With hundreds of sites full of recipes and with manufacturers offering plenty of ideas for their products on their own sites, there is sure to be something out there to suit your tastes.

3. Restaurants

Don’t feel like using a recipe? Then just search for the type of restaurant you feel like and where you want to go and see what’s around. For example, entering Japanese restaurants Melbourne into Google returns hundreds of results, complete with contact details, directions from Google Maps and user-written reviews.

4. Settle arguments

Ever wondered what the internet prefers, Coke or Pepsi? Do a quick poll by searching for each and comparing the number of result returned. The one with the higher number of results is attracting more attention and discussion on the internet (7 million in favour of Coke, incidentally). Try it with your name vs a friend, your product vs a competitor, or any other competing interests. You can also check the usage of words and phrases in this way (octopuses edges out octopi by about 20,000 results!) For a bit more fun, visit googlefight.com and watch your topics duke it out.

5. Ego search and stalking research

Have you ever searched for your own name before? How about your friends, colleagues or family? You can often be surprised by just where your name might turn up on the internet. Many employers are checking potential employees on the internet these days, not to mention first dates, so it pays to know what is out there about you. Just remember that anything you do online may come back to haunt you, so putting those photos up on Facebook may not be such a great idea after all!
If you are meeting someone for the first time, then a quick search of their name may show you what they are interested in and provide some conversation points. However, there is a fine line between research and stalking, so be careful if you decide to let someone know how you found out about their love of antique pottery…

6. Language

Find definitions, check spelling and grammar using searches. There are many style guides on the internet, and searching for a particular rule will bring up the correct usage quickly. As mentioned above, if you are tossing up between two options then searching for each one will show which is being used more. Be careful though, as sometimes the incorrect usage is more common – teh internets are not known for outstanding grammar lol!1
If your interest lies with pages in another language altogether, then Google can have a shot at translating them for you – just look for the ‘Translate this’ link next to the title of the search result. The translation will be understandable, but because a machine is doing the work, it may be a little less than perfect.

7. Number tracking

Something very practical is Google’s ability to recognise numbers, such as phone numbers and courier packages. Simply type in the number (sometimes you may need to prefix it with the company name) and Google will return the latest tracking information for a package. Phone numbers are still mainly US-only, but searching for a phone number can bring useful results, even without the search engine doing anything different. This is one you might need to experiment with, so put whatever number you need more information on in and see what comes back out!

8. Movie times

The final thing that you should be searching for are local movie times. This is a simple one: just type in the name of the movie into Google and hit search. If it is the first movie search that you have done, you will be prompted to enter your city or postcode and after that, the upcoming screenings at your nearest cinemas will show up. Just like searching for restaurants, you’ll also find Google Maps directions to the cinema and reviews of the movie.

So, what else do you search for? Share your search tactics and tips in the comments below…