Here are some tips on using Google to search for information on the Internet.

This page covers searching for information, viewing web pages and searching for images.

First, let's look at searching for information. Let's say for argument's sake, you want to search for a seafront hotel in Bognor. If you type in those words as they appear there, the search engine will find every page on the Internet to do with seafront, with hotel, and every page with the word 'Bognor' on it. You could end up with a million or so pages to wade through.

To get the pages you want to see, use quotation marks either side of the subject, and then specify where outside of the quotation marks. Always type your subject in quotation marks and what or where you want it outside.

So, you type in "seafront hotel" bognor

It doesn't usually matter whether you use upper or lower case.

If you want a cheap flight to Alicante, don't type in cheap flights to Alicante, just "cheap flights" alicante. If you want a specific item, state it in the subject and then what you want outside of it. For instance, if you want an updated printer driver for your printer, type the make of printer in the subject and what you want outside of the quotation marks. "HP officejet v45" xp driver is what you'd type. If you are running 98 or ME on your system, state that instead of xp.

VIEWING WEB PAGES

Take my tips and spend a minute to configure Google in the following way. When the search results are showing, before you press on any link, click on Preferences at the top of the page. Choose your search language, perhaps only in English, then scroll down and select 30 results per page, and then put a tick in the Results Window box to make it open the pages in a new browser window.

Save your preferences.

You do the latter so that you don't lose the page with all of your search results on. (Incidentally, if you use Window Washer, it will put these preferences back to default, so you will need to set them again. Not a long job, and worth it!)

Basically, that's it for searching and viewing. It just takes a bit of forethought before you type in what you want to search for. Keep it simple and you will get better results.

SEARCHING FOR IMAGES

If you wanted to find a certain picture, gif or whatever, use the part of Google that looks only for images.

That small down arrow to the right of the word Google is how to get to it.

Click on the down arrow, then on Google Links and then select Google Images.

Type in what you are looking for and it returns the actual pictures which saves you wading through loads of information looking for the one that will suit you.

Never try to save a picture from the images results window though, always open it up in a new browser window and do it from there. Always make sure that you are not downloading copyrighted material.