Tips For Searching WebmasterWorld

You show me yours...

[coopster]

I'm an Internet Search pro. No, I didn't start this post to toot my own horn, but I wanted to start off by stating that I'm very good at finding things on the net, I really am. When I can't, I come here to ask the real pros ;) That's what makes WW so great. I'm offering a tip for finding information on this site, and hope others will share some of their tips as well.

I realized I was starting to repeat myself in some of the posts that I answer. I kept trying to find my last post, or one from a month ago, etc. WW itself, lacks an advanced search function. I realize we're using a canned package, and that is part of the limitation. Anyway, I decided to try a different route, and does it work awesome!

Here is a neat trick I've learned regarding finding information on Webmasterworld. Let's say I know Nick_W had a good post regarding CSS and I remember something like the words "CSS Crash Course". I would go to Google and use the Advanced Search function. I would enter my keywords like I normally do, in this case I would key CSS Crash Course into the exact phrase area. Now, do the following two things, and you'll nail your search everytime, as long as you're looking for the right keywords!

1. In the with all of the words area, make sure you also key in the alias name for the person you know listed the post. In this case, key in Nick_W
2. Domain: Only return results from the site or domain: www.webmasterworld.com

Works like a charm! Try for yourself [google.com]!

Regards,
coopster

[killroy]

The rest of us use the normal search and type in:
keyword keyword site:webmasterworld.com
;)

Does the same thing in the end though!

SN

[Nick_W]

Actually, I searched for ages using that method for an old post of mine today. Coopsters method turned it up as the #1 result.

There must be some difference? - Thanks for sharing Coopster, I can see that being invaluable!

Nick

[pendanticist]

I've found that placing your keywords in all and exact sometimes gets tighter results, so it's been my default method.

Yep, that Domain thing works splendidly.

Pendanticist.

[coopster]

I guess the biggest difference I found (Google vs. WW site search) is the ability to find by alias. If you key in the alias in the WW site search, it will only find posts where the alias was keyed into the "details", as in, I finish this post and sign my name -- coopster

[killroy]

Hmm I found your example to give the EXACT smae results as searching for:
"CSS Crash Course" +Nick_W site:webmasterworld.com

;)

SN

[coopster]

That's because we are both searching for the same thing at this point. You can key it in to the normal search as opposed to using the form. Works both ways. Either way, we are both using Google to get to the same result, which is where this post started. Thanks for the tip, killroy.

[trillianjedi]

Thanks coopster - that's a good one.

Can anyone give me the actual code to put a google search box up in WW via my control panel? I've tried to busk it but it never worked properly....

Thanks,

TJ

[Nick_W]

Use an iframe and call it from your site ;-)

Nick

[jcoronella]

Include it in the page!

Check out this great tip from Bill:

[webmasterworld.com...]

[sun818]

I tried this today. If you get a lot of results, try adding library.cgi to your search query. This will search the title and snippet in the WW Library only.

[Yidaki]

Search all posts about or from GoogleGuy from 1th October, 2003:
site:www.webmasterworld.com GoogleGuy "Oct 1, 2003 (UTC)" [google.com]

Search for when the last post has been indexed by Google:
- last indexing was October 3&filter=0 [google.com]
- not yet indexed is October 4&filter=0 [google.com]

... ohps, even works without site parameter [google.com] ... ;)

[edited by: Yidaki at 7:18 pm (utc) on Oct. 7, 2003]

[sun818]

From? Doesn't that just search that day only? I'm confused. :(

[Yidaki]

>Doesn't that just search that day only?

erm, yep - that's what the search should do.

>From?

All posts FROM and ABOUT GoogleGuy posted at the 1th of October.

[sun818]

By From, I thought you meant From that date until present. But I see what you're getting at. That's pretty cool! :)