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What do they do? |
Search engines look for web pages containing the key words you give them. They then present you with a list which best match your enquiry.
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How are they different? |
They work in different ways. Some look for key words in the page text, descriptions behind images, page titles, hidden descriptions and keywords in 'Meta Tags' buried in the page source which you don't see when browsing.
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Which one is best? |
One that is a good starting point is Metacrawler. This isn't a search engine itself but uses several engines to search and then compiles the best results from each. Another reason for picking a particular one might be that it is region specific, such as Lycos UK, where you can restrict your search to UK and Ireland. Otherwise, have a look at all and choose one you find easiest to use and seems to give you better results.
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What search words should I use? |
Try several different words, and in a different order, for more than one search on the subject. Ask yourself how someone else might paraphrase the topic.
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How many search words should I use? |
The more search words you use the more exact the response. Experiment also with search words 'as a phrase', 'all', and 'any' in the search engine options.
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What's the difference between a search engine and a directory? |
A search engine looks for keywords on pages, whereas the database of a directory has been organised and is topic specific. A directory can be browsed if you have a subject and want to look for entries about it, a search engine can't. Check out Yahoo.
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