Related Resources • Genealogy Search • Surname Origins

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As many of you are most likely aware, using a search engine to search for information on your surname can often be compared to searching for a needle in a haystack - a frustrating experience at best. However, there are many ways in which you can focus your search to make it more effective; one of the best ways is to use what many call Search Engine Math.  Two simple operators, add (+), subtract (-), can go a long way toward narrowing your search results.  These operators are supported by the majority of the major search engines and directories and are a lot easier to learn and remember for most users than the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT.

Using the + Symbol
Beginning each keyword with a plus (+) symbol helps you to tell the search engine to find pages that include all of the words that you enter, not just some of them.  For example, consider a search where you are looking for the surname SMITH.  Typing that name into any search engine brings up millions of pages which match your request.  But assume that what you are really looking for is information on a man named Jebediah Smith.  You would want to look for pages which contain both names.  Typing in your search request this way:

+smith +jebediah 

would bring the number of results down to a much more manageable number of pages. You could then further narrow your search results by using any number of other words:

+smith +jebediah +gedcom (or +genealogy, +cemetery, etc.)