7 ways to improve informational searches (Summary)

Almost everyone who uses the Internet uses it at some point to search for something. But there’s a difference between transactional searches — the search for a specific fact, such as the price of an item, a map or the phone number of a local business – and deeper, more involved, informational searches.

Informational searches usually involve the hunt for information on topics or subjects that don’t usually lend themselves to a single or specific answer. Informational searches can be very broad, such as cars or mp3 players, or they can be narrow, such as caribbean destinations or voip service options for small business. And they can be everything in between. Usually, a person has to sift through one or more Web pages to find what they are looking for. Typically, informational searches are time-consuming. Sometimes, they’re downright frustrating.

Here are 7 ways to improve informational searches.

1. Start with organized search results
2. Explore the topic of your query with related topics and subtopics
3. Own and control the search process and results completely
4. Save what you’ve found, and save time when you return to search again
5. Share your knowledge and findings with others
6. Collaborate with people you trust
7. Connect and stay informed

Do you find these ideas to improve informational searches appealing? What other ideas do you have to improve informational searches?

Please take Zakta for a spin and let us know what you think. Zakta is just in public beta now, and we are eager to hear from you about your opinions and what we can do to make Zakta work really well for your informational searches.