WebPalaver: Googling Within

Although most websites these days include search functions, occasionally I'll come across one with no search function or one that just returns gobbledygook. Here's a trick to using Google to search within other sites.  In the Google search box, just type:

site:www.whatever.com search terms

Google then shows a list of hits in that familiar, helpful, google format.  I can't think of a good example to give of a site with a bad search function because it wouldn't be nice to mention my employer, so here's an example of a search within a site with a perfectly good search function, but that shows how you can use Google as a short cut. To find comments that Tom Sietsema, The Washington Post restaurant critic, has made about Cork, the popular new wine bar on 14th Street, NW, you can type something like this:

site:www.washingtonpost.com sietsema cork

The search returns a list of Washington Post articles and chat discussions that mention Cork.  You can also sometimes use this trick to circumvent the requirement on some sites that you register before being able to use the search function.

Alternatively, you can use Google's advanced search form and enter the site name into the "search within a site or domain" field.  But once you get used to typing "site:" it seems to cut out a step in your searching.  Which allows more time for watching "Law and Order" reruns.

Speaking of Tom Sietsema, in tomorrow's Post he reports that a new Belgian restaurant, called Et Voila!, is opening in the Palisades neighborhood in northwest DC. Check out his May 7 Dish column.

Comments

[Phil MctT]

I use google to search inside of wikipedia more often than I use the wikipedia search. Rather than use the 'site' operator, I just stick the work 'wiki' at the back of my search.

The results are generally better and the wikipedia search can be slow sometimes.

[mbpalaver]

Thanks Phil -- good tip.