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SearchResearch Challenge (1/23/17): Searching by not overthinking it…

Dan Russell • January 23, 2017
 SearchReSearch
Republished with permission from SearchReSearch
SearchResearch Challenge (1/23/17): Searching by not overthinking it… Dan Russell
Simple really is best.

This perhaps most true in your SearchResearches.

And yet one of the most common search mistakes I see in my studies is people using WAAY too complicated terms to search for simple things.

Here are a few quick Search Challenges to make the point. You should be able to figure out what these things are very quickly... and WITHOUT USING Search-By-Image. (Yes, I know you can find these things with Search-By-Image--my point today is to help you learn to search by taking the simplest possible route.)

What would be the simplest possible searches for these things?

1. What kind of beast is this? (And what's the simplest search that will get you the answer?)



2. When it snows gently at night (as it did many nights when I was a grad student in Rochester, NY), you can see the most beautiful display of lights around the parking lots. What is this phenomenon called?



3. And lastly, many animals have this strange extra eyelid. What's it called?

P/C Wikipedia. (But don't click on this link to find the answer!)

These are hard, but completely fun... once you figure out that the answer is really straight-forward!

Search on!

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About the Author

Dan RussellDan Russell

I study the way people search and research. I guess that makes me an anthropologist of search. While I work at Google, my blog and G+ posts reflects my own thoughts and not those of my employer. I am FIA's Future-ist in Residence. More »

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