Google Custom Search Engine

[FiberGuy]

Here's something I've been tinkering with the last few weeks:  http://www.google.com/coop/cse/overview

It allows for searching numerous individual pages or complete domains... either ONLY searching the selected domains/pages or searching the entire web with an emphasis on your selected domains/pages, which is a pretty kewl concept. 

The idea is a great one for someone like myself who has close to 200 (yes, 200) auctioneer web sites that I regularly search, and quite a few others that I "occasionally" search for new sale bills.  The only problem I'm having with it is that Google sometimes takes quite some time (more than a month sometimes?) to fully index new pages, especially if they are not linked well, and many auctioneers don't post sale bills more than a couple weeks in advance. 

In any case, it's a new tool for the web searcher that I'm sure will be useful to many... 

Cheers

[BellisimaJ.]

Very cool, Fg!

What do you search those sites for? I am ignorant, lol, and curious.

[FiberGuy]

[quote author=BellisimaJ. link=topic=5932.msg32048#msg32048 date=1163460959]
Very cool, Fg!

What do you search those sites for? I am ignorant, lol, and curious.
[/quote]

Hi Belle...

I do searches for vintage textiles and paper goods... specifically fabric, patterns, magazines and ephemera.  I was hopeful that with the custom search engine, I would be able to type in a single specific search term (such as "collier's" or "spicy mystery") and search ALL the auctioneer's sites for items listed in a sale bill.  In theory, it works fine.  But....

There are three drawbacks/limitations when doing this.  The first is as I mentioned in my first post... Google simply doesn't index sites fast enough (or, one could say auctioneers just don't post their sale bills soon enough!  ) 

The second is that many auctioneers post their sale bill as an image.  (Sort of silly, if you ask me, but auctioneers aren't known for good SEO. )  Obviously, G can't index the text of an image.

The third is that some auctioneers seem to never delete their sale bills... so I get all sorts of hits from expired auctions.  I can live with that.

Here's an example of a search for a "boat motor" using my custom search engine:  http://www.google.com/custom?cx=00825353...o0rs1-l-o0&q=boat+motor&cof=CX%3AAuction%2520Search%3BFORID%3A0&hl=en&client=google-coop

Feel free to search for "whatever"!

Cheers

 

[BellisimaJ.]

Thanks, Fg.! That could be a very useful tool! 

The second is that many auctioneers post their sale bill as an image.

This is really dumb in this day and age, Imo!! :