Tools for Bloggers I: Utilizing Your Browsers Search Function

Here’s a new feature I plan on expanding greatly: tools for bloggers. This can be anything that I use to make blogging an easier, quicker, and overall less frustrating ordeal. These tools will be personal recommendations and tried and true methods that I use on a daily basis.

To kick things off, I’m going to inform you of a tool that will save you plenty of time, it’s completely free, and best of all, you most likely already have it but don’t know it or use it. The tool for today is that nifty little search box in the upper right hand window of your internet browser.

How exactly is this a tool?

It saves an incredible amount of time in two different ways. First, you no longer have to manually enter in the domain name then locate the search box and continue your search from there. Second, it completely eliminates the need to visit the front-page of a search engine, which in turn limits the number of distractions that could tempt you. The Internet has an incredible ability to distract it’s user from getting any work done. Seeing as blogging is done entirely on the Internet, it’s likely you will never sit down and write a post from start to finish without getting distracted. The search box will help you fight those distractions.

Adding multiple search engines to your search box is relatively simple. Visit a website, click on the search engine selector, and you should be given the ability to add the search engine from that website. Be sure to remove any search engines you don’t use as they will just end up in the way.

Here are a few quick examples I suggest using:

• Dictionary – Look up words on the fly. This especially comes in handy if you want to know if the word you’re using is in the correct context.
• Thesaurus – Similar to Dictionary.com, thesaurs will allow you to search for alternate words with similar meanings. This is useful and will help you expand your vocabulary without sounding repetitive.
• Technorati – This is the largest directory of blogs on the web. You can quickly and easily find out what everyone else is blogging about. It’s a great place to catch up on trends and absorb ideas for posts.
• Wikipedia – It’s the world’s biggest online encyclopedia. That alone should be enough convincing that you need this search engine. It’s a great place to check facts and start doing research.
• Google – Need I say more?