What are some effective search engine strategies for discovering new topics and domains?

1 Use advanced operators

One way to discover new topics and domains is to use advanced operators that modify your search queries and filter your results. For example, you can use quotation marks to search for exact phrases, asterisks to replace unknown words, site: to limit your search to a specific domain, and related: to find similar websites. You can also use Boolean operators such as AND, OR, and NOT to combine or exclude keywords. These operators can help you narrow down or expand your search scope and find more relevant or diverse results.

2 Use autocomplete and suggestions

Another way to discover new topics and domains is to use the autocomplete and suggestions features that most search engines offer. Autocomplete is the feature that predicts what you are typing and shows you possible queries as you type. Suggestions are the feature that shows you related or popular queries at the bottom of the search results page. Both of these features can help you find new keywords, phrases, or questions that you might not have considered before. They can also help you refine your search terms and find more specific or broader results.

3 Use search tools and filters

A third way to discover new topics and domains is to use the search tools and filters that most search engines provide. Search tools and filters are the features that allow you to customize your search results based on various criteria, such as time, location, language, type, and quality. For example, you can use the time filter to find the most recent or the oldest results, the location filter to find results from a specific country or region, the language filter to find results in a different language, the type filter to find results from different formats, such as images, videos, or news, and the quality filter to find results from authoritative or verified sources. These features can help you find more relevant or diverse results and explore different perspectives or aspects of your topic.

4 Use search analytics and trends

A fourth way to discover new topics and domains is to use the search analytics and trends features that some search engines offer. Search analytics and trends are the features that show you the statistics and patterns of search behavior, such as the volume, frequency, location, and popularity of search queries. For example, you can use Google Trends to find out what people are searching for around the world, in different regions, or in different time periods. You can also compare different keywords or topics and see how they change over time or across locations. These features can help you find new insights, ideas, or opportunities related to your topic and discover emerging or trending topics and domains.

5 Use search alerts and newsletters

A fifth way to discover new topics and domains is to use the search alerts and newsletters features that some search engines offer. Search alerts and newsletters are the features that notify you when new results or updates are available for your search queries. For example, you can use Google Alerts to create and manage alerts for specific keywords or topics and receive email notifications when new results are found. You can also use Google News to subscribe to newsletters from different sources and topics and receive email digests of the latest news. These features can help you stay updated and informed about your topic and discover new sources, perspectives, or developments.

6 Use search engines for specific domains

A sixth way to discover new topics and domains is to use search engines that are designed for specific domains or purposes. For example, you can use Google Scholar to search for academic publications, Google Books to search for books and ebooks, Google Images to search for images and reverse image search, Google Maps to search for locations and directions, Google Flights to search for flights and travel deals, and Google Shopping to search for products and prices. You can also use other specialized search engines, such as Wolfram Alpha for computational knowledge, PubMed for biomedical literature, or DuckDuckGo for privacy-oriented search. These search engines can help you find more relevant, comprehensive, or specialized results and discover new domains or subdomains related to your topic.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?