Search engines rely on the terms plugged in by users to determine which results to put through their algorithms, order and then return to the user. Yet, rather than simply recognizing and retrieving exact matches for query terms, search engines use knowledge of semantics (the science of the language) to construct intelligent matches for queries. An example might be a search for avo cigars that also returned results that did not contain that specific phrase, but instead had the term avo smokes.

The engines collect data based on the frequency of use of terms and the co-occurrence of words and phrases throughout the web. If certain terms or phrases are often found together on pages or sites, search engines can construct intelligent theories about their relationships. Mining semantic data through the incredible bulk that is the Internet has given search engines some of the most accurate data about connections between words ever assembled artificially. This immense knowledge of word ontologies and their usage gives them the ability to determine what the topic of a page or site is, which pages in a site are topically related, how the link structure of the web divides into topical communties and more.

Search engines’ growing intelligence about the subject of language means that queries will increasingly return more evolved, intelligent results. This heavy investment in the field of natural language processing will help to achieve greater understanding of the intent and meaning behind their users’ searches. Over the long term, users can expect the results of this work to produce increased relevancy in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) and more accurate guesses from the engines as to the intent of a user’s queries.  Good stuff!

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While this may not be a computer memory subject, it’s one I like a lot since I smoke these things so bear with me.  The majority of phillies cigars are made up of fillers; wrapped-up bunches of leaves within the wrapper. Fillers of various strengths are usually blended to produce desired cigar tastes. In the cigar industry this is called a “blend”. Many cigar makers pride themselves in assembling the ideal blend (s) that may give the smoker the most delight. The more oils present in the tobacco leaf, the stronger (less dry) the filler. Types range all the way from the minimally flavored Volado taken from the bottom of the plant, thru the light-flavored Seco (dry) taken from the middle of the plant, to the strong Ligero from the upper leaves exposed to the most daylight. Fatter cigars of larger gauge hold more filler, with greater potential to provide a full body and complex flavor. When used, Ligero is always folded into the middle of the filler because it burns slowly.

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Announced today at the Google Factory Tour is Google’s new product, Google Health. Search medical issues and store you medical history online. Very interesting service/product, please take a moment to look it over. Finally a service that allows you to bring all your medical information to one location including doctor visit information, lab results and prescriptions.

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Here’s what I came across this morning. I was doing a search on the Acer Aspire 5610z and googled the model # and received a Google Error. Huh? That’s right it was a “403 Forbidden” error. Quick test shows the same results in IE and Firefox. Here’s what the page said:

We’re Sorry

… but your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application. To protect our users, we can’t process your request right now.

We’ll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, if you suspect that your computer or network has been infected, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your systems are free of viruses and other spurious software.

If you’re continually receiving this error, you may be able to resolve the problem by deleting your Google cookie and revisiting Google. For browser-specific instructions, please consult your browser’s online support center.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we’ll see you again on Google.

Then it asks for you to key in some text so that it knows your not a robot. Apparently this is how Google responds to spam queries. After an initial freak out, and a quick google search on the error, all looks good. No more 403′s yet, but I’m keeping an eye on it.

BTW, the Acer Aspire 5610z search came up with some interesting results. . . .

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Here’s a cool trick I just found. Many of you may already know about this one, but I just found it and I think it’s pretty darn slick.

Google provides a lot of flexibility with it’s search. If you have the Google Toolbar installed, you can customize it further with the addition of buttons. There are over 1000 buttons availabe in the Google Button Gallery.

But here’s the twist… You can create your own custom button for any site you want, as long as it has a search field. Here’s how it works. Go to any site you like and find their search field. You can do a right mouse click in the search field and choose “Generate Custom Search”. This will start an install dialog that will load a custom search button into your toolbar.

The result is that now you can type a search into your Google Toolbar and click your newly made custom Google Search Button and pow, you’re sent to the site you want to search and the search results are displayed.

Take a look at the button I made for our Upgrade Computer Memory site.

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