Google bares search improvements

THE world's leading search engine, Google, enticed Filipino Internet users to take advantage of the site's tools to find their needed information quickly and easily.

Jay Trinidad, search product marketing manager for Google Asia-Pacific, said they introduced more than 100 search improvements this year that focused on the comprehensiveness, relevancy, and speed of its search results.

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"Many people know that Google can help find web pages that are relevant to their queries, but few know the full extent of Google's abilities to help searching easier," he said.

Trinidad said Google users can get instant translations in over 50 languages, navigate a city and find local businesses on a map, search the physical world with the help of a camera phone, and find scholarly articles and books related to research topics.

Google Goggles, currently available on Android phones, will also enable visual search by letting a user submit a photo as a query instead of typing keywords.

Google listed the following tips to allow searchers save time and help them discover useful resources:

• Keep it short and simple: Google said the extra words actually "decrease" the accuracy of the search results.

• Eliminate unwanted results: Sometimes when your search contains a word with multiple meanings, you need to eliminate some redundant or intrusive results.

• Use contextual words to indicate the kind of result you want: When you're looking for a particular type of result, include a "context" term to describe the kind of result you want. These words include "how to" (to find do-it-yourself guides), "guideline" (to find suggestions and guides), "curriculum," "lesson plans," and "summary."

"Search isn't something you're born with, but with just a bit more inside information like the tips we talked about today, anyone can become a better searcher," said Trinidad.

He added Filipinos top searches revolved on developments in politics, entertainment and love.

Google's database also showed that the top search trends in the Philippines include Facebook, YouTube, and Yahoo!

Synovate's Media Atlas Philippines Wave 4 2009-2010 found out that only 37 percent of Filipinos have access to internet as compared to Hong Kong's 80 percent. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)