Search Engine Optimization All-in-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Chapter 5

Knowing What Drives Search Results

In This Chapter

• Searching like a power user
• Using advanced operators to supercharge your search engine optimization
• Finding specific file types in the vertical search engines
• Capturing more conversions using the long-tail approach
• Using Google Instant search suggestions as an intelligence tool

In this chapter, you discover how to use the search engines like a pro through the use of advanced operators. You also learn how to use vertical engines to get specialized results. You see why it's imperative to capture the so called long tail of search, and how predictive searches like Google Instant can be used as a tool to help you turn your site into a search magnet. The expert-searcher skill set definitely complements your role as a search engine optimizer, so we’re devoting a whole chapter to it. At the end of this chapter, you get to apply your newfound skills to enhancing your site with keywords targeted for your audience.

A typical search returns many results (commonly in the millions) and may include lots of irrelevant listings. Because search engines find what you tell them to search for, an overly large result set can be chalked up to a too-broad search query (the terms typed into the search box). You probably already know some simple techniques for narrowing a search, such as adding more specific terms (such as [bass fishing vacations] instead of just [bass fishing]) or including quotation marks around words that must be an exact ...