Go Local
When Searching, Go Local.
One important skill when looking for something on the Internet is determining the right place to look. Search engines are a wonderful way to search and should be the first place you go, but what happens when they come up short?
Use the "Go Local" principle:
Local on the Internet actually means many different things.
In the same geographical areaIn the same industry or specialty areaOrganizations or people who use what you seek Organizations or people who are involved with any step of the creation or handling of what you seekSome "Go Local" examples ...
News
You can usually get more details on breaking news events by going to a web-based newspaper in the same geographical area as the news event. Do a quick search using the name of the nearest medium-to-large sized town and the word "newspaper". Use a mapping site like mapquest.com or yahoo maps to find your city and zoom out to find larger close cities for your search.
Products
If you are seeking the manufacturer of a piece of bamboo furniture and not having luck with search engines, try to find bamboo growers or importers and scan their websites for information about their customers. Check the "links" page within their site or look for testimonials and you may find the name or even a link to the sites you seek. Alternatively, search for companies that produce varnish for bamboo, or ones who create a special pesticide for bamboo. Also, the government may have regulations or an inspection process that importers of bamboo need to follow, make sure to look there.
Organizations
If you are seeking the organization that grades collectable coins, look for coin dealers, or look for people who have pages about their collection posted on the Internet. Use synonyms in your search as specialists often have sophisicated names for what you seek. You should even use search engines to find these synonyms …
For Example, search for:
coin collector synonym
and you will find the word numismatic.
The go local principle is a "different context" way of approaching your searching problems. The next time your search is comming up short, try to approach the problem from a different perspective... the local perspective.
Use Email in your search
In all cases, don't be afraid to send an email to a "Go Local" website that is close to your search. Make sure the tone of your email is kind, is specific and it asks for what you want in the form of a question. Keep your request short and specific. For example:
Hi,
I see that your company imports Bamboo. I am having no luck finding the Zanzabar Bamboo Furniture company and thought you might be able to point me in the right direction.
Do you have any leads that might help me find them, either directly or indirectly? Can you suggest any trade groups, industry registries, directories or any other ways I might find them?
Any help is appreciated.
Ray
Don't be discouraged if the email is not answered as a significant percentage of emails go unanswered. You improve your chances for a reply by sending the email to a person instead of a generic address (like sales@). Take a minute to be sure you are sending the email to the correct person within the organization in order to maximize your chances. Sending to info@, or webmaster@ should be a last resort. If you can't find the email of a real person, go to a search engine and search for one.
Information about what you seek is almost certainly on the Internet somewhere, keep trying different approaches and you are bound to find the trickier ones.