I love Google. I use it daily to search for all kinds of things. But there are times when other search options work better, and it is helpful to know a little about how Google works in order to know when to use them.

PageRank is Google's patented search algorithm that gives weight to certain pages based on a complex formula. There are many variables in the formula, but the most important one determines the importance of pages based on how many links it gets. Then PageRank balances other variables to give you relevant results within that set. The important thing to understand is that because the algorithm is based on number of other people's links, Google results are largely what other people have found useful or important.

This works well for most people most of the time. If you want to find the latest gossip on Britney Spears or whether a squirrel is a rodent, no doubt you will find it. But this also means that the more unique your search, the less likely you are to find useful results. If you were diagnosed with a rare disease, or are researching a topic few people have heard of, you are more likely to need to break out of the Google box. What do you do in this case? Here are some tips:

1. Try Google's advanced features. There is a link to the right of the Google search box on the home page that says "advanced." This gives you options to filter by date, region, web domain, and more. Google also has a lot of other specific searches. The links at the top of the page (including the "more" link) include searches of only images, blogs, or even journal articles, in the case of Google Scholar.
2. Try another search engine. Other search engines use different algorithms, and you will be surprised at the difference in the search results. Try Yahoo, Bing, or Ask, which are other major search engines, or Dogpile, which searches several of  the major search engines at once.
3. Try a directory. Instead of searching a machine keywords, try looking up what you need in a directory that has been organized by humans. Google and Yahoo have directories. Google's is basically the Open Directory Project with their algorithm added. The Librarian's Internet Index is also helpful.
4. Try the library! And I don't mean searching around in card catalogs. (Which have been replaced, BTW. Have you been lately?) If you have a library card, chances are you have access to many specific databases that can only be searched otherwise on a paid basis. I have found many downloadable journal articles with my library card that are not available online. Many reference librarians are also available by Instant Message or telephone to help you. 

But don't wait until you are stuck to step out of the Google box. Try the above options the next time you are curious about a topic, and you will be surprised how big the digital world is outside the big G.