Site Search Tools

To find information on the internet, most people use some kind of site search tool. The most common site search tools are search engines. Large search engines, such as Google or Microsoft’s Bing service, conduct their searches of relevant websites by looking for what are known as keywords and websites that have many exterior links. Additionally, websites that have existed for longer periods of time accrue greater history. Search engines recognize these older web pages from previous searches and give them a more prominent place on the results page. These techniques are generally known either as web site search optimization, or search engine optimization. However, some webmasters have established site search tools that index and search the content of their individual websites.

Establishing a site search tool within an individual website was a very difficult process until the advent of several dedicated site search tool providers. Companies such as JRank, Freefind, Picosearch, and others offer webmasters what is referred to as ‘search hosting.’ Search hosting, much like web hosting, is a remotely based service that the webmaster can apply to his or her website. The site search tool companies provide the webmaster with the ability to index information for one or sometimes multiple websites at a time. The webmaster can control how frequently the site search indexing and re-indexing occurs, depending on how often the content on the website changes or is updated. Most site search tool services provide a default ‘search’ box, much like the one provided by much larger site search tools, that allows users to enter search terms, click on the search function, and correspondingly see results displayed. If webmasters desire a custom layout for their site search tool, they usually need to pay the search hosting company to design it.

Some search hosting companies avoid charging the webmaster directly by allowing them the option of selecting a version that comes with display ads. In other cases, they offer the webmaster the option of paying for an ad-free site search tool. To set up site search optimization within a website, a webmaster generally needs only to provide basic information about the site and personal contact information to the search hosting company. Detailed instructions on how to install, alter, and maintain the site search tool are provided once the webmaster provides this information, much as detailed instructions are provided to someone who signs up with a web hosting company on how to access web hosting services.

Site search tools for individual websites have become popular for two primary reasons. Large websites that update frequently, or have especially complex site maps, like to provide indexing for their users so that new information is easy to access. Secondly, websites that offer especially archaic or industry specific information benefit from having individual site search tools to allow users to find what they are looking for. Because of the volume of information on the internet, larger search engines often are unable to effectively index everything according to all likely search terms, resulting in empty or misleading search results.