This document contains some tips for making common search engines more accessible in Internet Explorer 5.

The most obvious and intuitive way to access a particular search engine is probably to just go to that search engine's Web site.  The problem is that, even with a bookmark, that takes a lot of clicking and typing, and that can be annoying if you're a heavy user of search engines.

The good news is that current Web browsers (most notably Internet Explorer 5) also go to great lengths to integrate search engine access into the browser itself.  If you use search engines a great deal, you may find it worthwhile to take a few minutes to customize your browser to make it  easier to access your favorite search engines.  The suggestions below are applicable to users of Internet Explorer 5 only.

1. Install the Google toolbar

In November 2000, Google made the "Google Toolbar" available for download.  This small program adds a toolbar to your Internet Explorer 5 interface that offers several useful options, including: 

• Google Search: Access Google's search technology from any web page.
   
• Site Search: Search only the pages of the site you're visiting.
   
• Page Info: Access more information about a page including similar pages, pages that link back to that page, as well as a cached snapshot.

One caution: the Google Toolbar's "Page Rank" feature, which indicates how "important" the Google search engine thinks a given page is, transmits every URL that you visit back to Google.  While Google is very upfront about this, and pledges never to reveal this information, many consider this an invasion of online privacy.  Fortunately, Google offers you the option to download and install the Toolbar without this feature, and you can turn it off at any time.  We recommend that you install the Google Toolbar without "Advanced Features."

You can download the Google Toolbar from Google.

2.  Install Microsoft IE 5 Web Accessories' "Quick Search"

Wouldn't it be convenient if you could initiate a Web search on a keyword just by typing it into the address line of your Web browser?  That's what the Quick Search feature of Microsoft's IE 5 Web Accessories lets you do.  Customizing it to for Google and Raging Search requires a few clicks, but it will make searching the Web so convenient that it's worth the five minutes it takes to set it up.  We promise!

1.  Start by downloading IE 5 Web Accessories from Microsoft. 

2. Fire up IE 5, and locate the "Quick Search" button on your Links toolbar.  If you can't see the Links toolbar, go to View>Toolbars>Links to make sure it's checked on.

3.  You'll now be seeing the Quick Search configuration screen.  Notice that a number of prominent search engines, including Yahoo, are already predefined.  Each search engine is  associated with a one- or two-letter shortcut.  Notice that Yahoo's shortcut is "y."  Click "Save" to activate this extension.

4. To give Quick Search a try, type into the address bar

y USHCR

into the address bar of Internet Explorer.  You'll immediately be taken to Yahoo's search results for the query "USHCR."

To try a more complex search type

av potato -Idaho

This will execute an AltaVista search for all pages with "potato" but without "Idaho."  Pretty neat, eh?

5.  The last step is to add two of our favorite newer search engines -- Raging Search and Google -- to the Quick Search menu.  (These search engines were either developed after the Quick Search toolbar was released, or Microsoft's marketing people didn't deem them important enough to include.) Here's how:

• Reopen the Quick Search window as above, by clicking on the Quick Search button in your Links toolbar.
   
• Click the "New..." button.  First we'll add Google.
   
• Pick a shortcut key for Google.  We suggest "g."   Choose "Custom URL" from the "Search" dropdown menu.  Then, type into  the "URL:" box
   
  http://www.google.com/search?q=%S
   
  Click OK.  Voila!

• Finally, repeat the process for Raging Search, only this time, we recommend using the shortcut key "r" and use the URL
  
  http://www.ragingsearch.altavista.com/
  cgi-bin/query?pg=q&what=web&fmt=.&q=%s

If you're wondering how we derived these URLs, we simply ran a search with the search engine in question, and noted the URL that appeared in the results.  Following the directions in the window above, we copied that URL, replacing our search terms with "%s."   Thus, you can add any other search engines to Quick Search.

 

3.  Avoid using IE 5 search button

IE  includes a "Search" button that appears to offer a convenient way to search the Web from the browser interface.  We recommend avoiding the IE 5 Search button, as it does not support recommended search engines such as Google and Raging Search. (It does support Yahoo and AltaVista, though.)  If you're bound to use it, we at least suggest that you customize it to use Yahoo as the default search service, rather than MSN.

For more information

Google Toolbar download

http://toolbar.google.com/  
 

Microsoft IE 5 Web Accessories download

http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/IE/WebAccess/ie5tools.asp
 

06/29/01  

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