Think of all the times you’ve searched Google. Are you searching for information or for knowledge? If you’re not sure of the difference, we’re here to help.

What We Know v. What We Don’t Know

Sometimes we search for information we know we’re looking for and for that we employ machine-generated knowledge systems, like Google. But sometimes we search to discover information we didn’t know about at all, like we do on Wikipedia, a human-generated knowledge system, that is, a system populated with user-generated content, like blogs and other social media.

Discovering knowledge is much more complex because it relies on the creation of conceptual relationships which helps to improve the accuracy of a search by understanding searcher intent. With semantic search, if you search for two or more terms, you will find occurrences of a conceptual relationship, not just the terms scattered within the same document, like traditional machine-generated search engines provide.

Searching and discovering are equally valuable, but understanding what you seek to gain from each can help you know where to go to get the information that you need. To help guide you, here’s a list of a few semantic search engines that we think are worthy of discovery.

Worio

Worio is focused on finding the topics that are interesting, not just popular. Using what it calls a Zeitgeist Algorithm, Worio claims to pinpoint the “spirit of the times” by pulling out the key indicators that highlight the moment where interest was piqued.

Worio searches trending topics to find relevance. Everything from the words chosen to tag something, how it’s shared, tweeted and how they can be related, can shed light on what people are talking about.

Yebol

Yebol utilizes a combination of patented algorithms paired with human knowledge to build a Web directory for each query and each user. Instead of the common “listing” of Web search queries, Yebol automatically clusters and categorizes search terms, Web sites, pages and contents.

By providing users with a rich search experience, Yebol can help them quickly scan the results to find targeted information. 

Zite

Currently in private beta (sign up to be a tester), Zite combines news aggregation with social media. Zite generates recommendations based on the content, hashtags and links shared via Twitter and Delicious.

Generated from social media sites, blogs and a combination of methods, the recommended sites are presented to the user in a format that shows them the latest news as well as older items of relevance.

Enhancing the Search Experience

None of these sites claim to be the next Google, nor are they meant to be. Semantic search is a supplemental service. It enhances the search experience by providing users with different paths and resources that may not have been discovered through traditional search engines.

So the next time you go in search of information, ask yourself if it’s the knowledge that you’re after or just information.

There's no denying it. On any given day, information is tossed around and much of it requires you to synthesize and respond to it instantaneously. So what do you do if you don't understand any of it? Why, Google it of course!

While this may be the way that many in our industry of face-paced web marketers behave, Google isn't always the first line of defense for others. Yet, there is so much that can be learned from Googling, even if it means that you're doing it on Yahoo or Bing!

Searching online isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of curiosity. And being curious in today's web-o-sphere is currency. It's not just what you know, but rather the initiative you show about wanting to learn, that will make you a valuable asset for your company or cause.

Regardless of your industry, search engines can provide reliable and concise information that can help you throughout your day. From learning about social media or trying to find ways to clean your expresso machine you'd be surprised what you can find on Google and as a result, what information can be gained.

Using search engines effectively can take a little time. The more searches you do, the more you'll learn how to search and what words to use. Here are few tips to help search more effectively:

Start broad, then narrow in

If you don't exactly know what information you're trying to find, start big. Type in the general search term, scroll through some of your results. You may see a theme emerge. Go back to the search bar and add your additional search terms using the word "and" between them.

Ask a question

Don't be afraid to just type in exactly what you want to know. So ask away. Try to keep in concise and use active verbs, e.g., How to Tie a Bow; How to make a million dollars; Why is the Sun hot?

Don't Fear Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that differs from other encyclopedias in a significant way: along with reading the articles in Wikipedia, anyone can add or edit articles however they like. However, recent studies suggest that Wikipedia may be as accurate as Encyclopedia Britannica. Articles are often added quickly and, as a result, coverage of current events and new technology in particular is quite extensive. Users can look at the changes made to Wikipedia's entries as new information has come to light. this can be done by clicking the entry's "history" tab at the top of the page.

Other people's searches

Lots of people are searching for the same thing. You can use Google Trends, a database of Google searches shows too see how often they’ve been searched over time, how frequently topics have appeared in Google News stories, and in which geographic regions people have searched for them most. There are even search engines that lead you to things you didn't know you were looking for!

Even if you only use search engines to satisfy random queries for celebrities or news of the weird, it will most likely lead you to other information that will be relevant to your business or interests. So get curious and start searching.