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How to Google: More Tricks and Timesavers


March 2006 Do you Google? That's the question we've asked SmartPros readers this month in our Opinion Poll. According to early results, 90 percent of you "google," and 65 percent turn to Google for accounting- and finance-related searches.



This new list of Google tips builds on a previous article, How to Google: 10 Tricks and Timesavers.

View company financials. Google has a new addition to its family, Google Finance. The beta was launched on March 21. Google Finance culls company data from Reuters, Hoovers and EDGAR Online.

To launch Google Finance, you can either type in a stock symbol into the main Google homepage, or you can go directly to the Finance page at http://finance.google.com. Once again, Google provides a simplistic user interface -- easy navigation and uncluttered pages.

When you type a stock ticker into the Google Finance box it spits out company facts, summary and financials (note that the quotes are delayed by about 15 minutes). It also includes headlines and blog posts that mention the company you just searched.

Google Finance still has some kinks that need to be worked out, and it faces tough competition from the well-established Yahoo! Finance, but it may be worth your time to take a peek. The features that set this financial site apart are the blog postings and Google Finance Discussion Group (message boards).

Search a single site. A major complaint of Web users is the inability to search within a single site because the organization has a lousy internal search engine. This is when you rely on Google, which will search a single site for you. For example, you want to search the SEC's site for anything on the PCAOB. In Google, type site:www.sec.gov PCAOB

Get images. From the Google homepage, click on the Images link (above the search box). Here in Image Search, type your query. Your search will result in several photos, caricatures, graphs, charts and more. Need a map of your state? Want to view an aerial photo of the college your son will be attending? Looking for a photo of someone? Images may have what you need.

Feeling lucky? Have you wondered what that I'm Feeling Lucky button is about? (No, it's not a St. Patrick's Day promotion.) Type in your search query into the Google box and click the I'm Feeling Lucky button. Google will take you to the site that appears at the top of its list -- useful when you're looking for a specific organization's site but don't know its exact URL and are pretty certain your query will take you straight there. In other words, you're feeling lucky.

Search in books. Like many other Google features, Book Search is in beta. It has been a controversial offering due to copyright issues, but for the moment it's there for you to use. Publishers and libraries have allowed Google to digitally scan books. Publishers want to market their books, and libraries want to make it easy for you to find what they offer.

Views vary by book, and include "snippets," sample pages, and full books. If you need to find a book on a certain topic, this may be a good option.

Search from your desktop. Personalize Google with the free Desktop service. A short download process installs a desktop search application on your computer. Search your files, photos, chats, email and more. The sidebar feature eliminates having to open a browser when you need to find something on the Web -- get weather, news, stock info and more in the sidebar.

Narrow the search. Advanced Search is great for many reasons. Here's one: from Advanced Search, use the Date dropdown and choose from four options: anytime, past 3 months, past 6 months, or past year.

Help. Google has a treasure trove of resources for any Web surfer. The best part about Google is that it's not secretive. In other words, you don't have to wade through pages and pages to learn what you can do with Google search. Check out the Service and Tools and the Help Center pages to learn more.

What's your favorite Google trick? editor@smartpros.com

NIQUETTE KELCHER is the Web Managing Editor for SmartPros Ltd.

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