How to Use a Search Engine

Searching for something on the internet is a skill that takes practice! The better your search terms are, the better your results will be.

Choosing Your Keywords

When you use a search engine, you should choose your words carefully. These are called keywords. If you’re looking for information on how to care for a pet hamster, don’t just search for “animals” or “hamsters.” Instead, try searching for “how to take care of a pet hamster.”

Tips for Better Searching

Be Specific: Instead of “games,” try “free online games for kids.”
Use Quotes: If you’re looking for a specific phrase, put it in quotes, like "to be or not to be." This tells the search engine to look for those exact words in that exact order.
Avoid Extra Words: Search engines usually ignore words like “the,” “and,” and “a,” so you can leave them out if you want!

Reading the Results

When you get your list of results, don’t just click the first one! Look at the snippet (the short description) under the title. It will tell you a little bit about what’s on the page so you can decide if it’s what you’re looking for.

Did you know?

Image Search: You can search for pictures and videos just as easily as text! Just click the “Images” or “Videos” tab at the top of the search results page.
Calculations and Conversions: You can use a search engine like a calculator or a translator! Try typing in 2 + 2 or 10 kilograms in pounds.
Voice Search: Many devices now let you search just by speaking! You can ask your computer or phone a question, and it will search for the answer for you.

Check Your Knowledge

What are “keywords”?
Why is it better to be specific when you’re searching for something?
What happens when you put a search phrase in quotes?
What is a “snippet” in search results?
Name two things besides text that you can search for with a search engine.