Google for Genealogy Research? You're Kidding!!

This is the reaction I get when I bring up this subject in a class... "I can use Google to do my research?" I spend one full session on "tips and tricks" when using Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org and yes, Google during my "GENEALOGY and FAMILY RESEARCH" courses!

Usually, the first reaction is "I tried it and I get way too many returns. Most of it doesn't have anything to do with genealogy!" Well, first, Google doesn't "read" the words. It uses algorithms to predict what you're looking for and what it will give you based on zillions of previous searches. So, the first thing you'll want to do if you're searching for a particular name in Google and you want the returns to be genealogical in nature, there's a very easy way to make sure of that. Take a look to the left of the the numeral "1" on your keyboard. There's a " ` " symbol and, when using the shift key, a " ~ " symbol. The squiggly line is called a "tilde". And what it does is tell Google to restrict returns that will bring you data that is genealogical in nature. That little gizmo combined with quotation marks will tremendously pare down your returns.

Let me explain. If you put the name, John Smith in the Google search box you;ll get 228 million returns, give or take 100,000 or so! The good news is you found something. The bad news is that many of the pages will have the WORD "John" on the page or at the site somewhere and the WORD "Smith" somewhere. And not necessarily together. You might see John McGuire in one spot and Madeleine Smith in another far removed from John McGuire and certainly not the people you were researching.

Step one is to put the name in quotation marks. "John Smith" will return "John" right next to "Smith" on the page.

Step two is to add the tilde like this: "John Smith" ~genealogy.

That little strategy returns a "mere" 728,000, a FAR cry for 228,000,000. And so it begins. But wait---There's more!! Now you can begin to use the "+" operator. That bit and a word about middle initials, "*" and "?" I'll talk about tomorrow.

If any of these hints have helped you, please "Follow" and share.... Thanks!