And You Thought Google Was Just A Search Engine

And You Thought Google Was Just a Search Engine
By Merle Stinnett

Everyone loves Google for searching online, but
did you know they also offer other tools for your
Web based enjoyment? Google's technicians are a
very talented group and they're constantly at work
developing new and fun services. You'll find a
complete list at http://www.Google.com/options/

Let's take a look at the many faces of Google:

1) Google Free: http://www.google.com/services/free.html
A free search engine for your website. Allow visitors
to search your site or the Web. If you select the
"safe search" option, adult themed web pages will
be excluded from any Web search results that are
shown.

2) Google Groups: http://groups-beta.google.com/
Allows you to create, join and even search other
mailing lists. Create your own newsletter/ezine
at no charge.

3) Google Answers: http://answers.google.com/answers/
More than 500 hand-picked researchers, willing to
answer any question you may have for a fee.
Prices start as low as $2.50 and go up from
there. If you're trying to do some research for
a project and are running short on time, this could
come in very handy.

4) Google Catalogs: http://catalogs.google.com
Search and browse mail-order catalogs online.
Hundreds of catalogs on a variety of topics, from
Apparel to Computers. View full contents of each
catalog right online.

5) Froogle: http://froogle.google.com
A shopping service that makes it easy to find
information about thousands of products for
sale on the Net. Find the best price and the
best place to purchase.

6) Google Image Search: http://images.google.com
Search over 880 million images. Search results are
displayed as thumbnails. By clicking on them
individually you can view the graphic at full size.

7) Local Search: http://local.google.com
Maybe you don't want to search the world; you need
to find things in your own backyard. Use local
search to find businesses and services close by.

8) Google News: http://news.google.com
If you like your daily dose of World News and
the top headlines, you can browse over 4,500
news sources here. Continually updated.

9) Google Deskbar/Toolbar: http://toolbar.google.com
This downloadable toolbar allows you to conduct
searches at Google from any website. Includes a
pop up stopper and the ability to post to your
Blogger account (if you have one).

If you prefer to search from your desktop,
download their "Deskbar" and search without
even launching your browser.
http://toolbar.google.com/deskbar/index.html

10) University Search:
http://www.google.com/options/universities.html
Looking for information on a specific school?
Google's University Search serves up admission
information, Alumni News and even course schedules.

11) Google Wireless:
http://www.google.com/options/wireless.html
If you thought you had to leave Google at home
when you're on the move you can now conduct
searches via your wireless phone. See the site
for specific directions for searching from your
device.

12) Language Tools:
http://www.google.com/language_tools
The Internet serves a global audience and English
is not everyone's first language. With Language
Tools you can translate blocks of text or an
entire Web page by typing in the URL.

13) Google Web Alerts/News Alerts:
http://google.com/newsalerts
http://google.com/webalerts
Great for monitoring a certain topic or even your
competition. Type in a search word or phrase and
select how often you wish to be notified. You'll
receive an email when updated news on your subject
appears online.

14) Blogger: http://www.Blogger.com
Not located at Google but owned by them, Blogger
is a free service for creating your own Blogs.
Communicate with the world on your own terms.
If you use Blogger and download Google's Toolbar,
you can easily post to your Blog while surfing
the Web. This is a very handy feature. They've
also adding the ability to add photos to your
Blog and audio messages. Check out
http://www.audioblogger.com/

Have you ever heard of "Google Labs"? It's basically
a testing playground for the technicians who work
at Google. New ideas for tools are placed there
for the public to use and give feedback on. This
area is considered the "experimental phase" and not
all demos are guaranteed to make it out of the lab
"alive." It's a very cool place to experiment with
new tools. You'll find it at http://labs.google.com

As you can see, Google is far more then just a search
engine. Their many tools and services can help you
in your Web based travels to be more informed and
efficient. Google's runaway success stems from the
fact that they have always listened to and served
the public. You can see this in the creativity they
bring to everything they do.

Next time you need to perform a specific task online,
remember Google contains a full array of handy gadgets
and they may have just what you're looking for!


Merle has been "working" the Net for over
8 years and has a Special Gift just for you.
Download my FREE E-book "50 Easy Ways to
Promote Your Website". Get your copy now at
http://www.WebSiteTrafficPlan.com
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