Info Searching ScubaBoard without the SB Search Function

[tursiops]

People may not be aware you can use Google to search ScubaBoard...and it is a better search engine than the one we do not currently have on SB.

In Google, type "https://Scubaboard.com site: (search terms)" or even just "Scubaboard: (search terms)"

 

[lowwall]

Not quite, you want

search terms site:scubaboard.com

You can flip it around, but this way will work in a browser bar search as well as on Google directly.

 

[tursiops]

Not quite, you want

search terms site:scubaboard.com

I think both work.

 

[The Chairman]

Great points, and we should have elastisearch back on shortly. Google can't search all of ScubaBoard like Instructor to Instructor, Thumbs Down, or the Pub.

 

[lowwall]

I think both work.

Your solution is the same as putting the word "scubaboard" into the search. This mostly does what you want it to, because the top results for your search terms are most likely to be on scubaboard. But my solution actually restricts search results to the site.

There's a full(?) list of Google search operators here:

Google Search Operators: The Complete List (44 Advanced Operators)

They're super powerful.

ahrefs.com

 

[tursiops]

Your solution is the same as putting the word "scubaboard" into the search. This mostly does what you want it to, because the top results for your search terms are most likely to be on scubaboard. But my solution actually restricts search results to the site.

There's a full(?) list of Google search operators here:

Google Search Operators: The Complete List (44 Advanced Operators)

They're super powerful.

ahrefs.com

You are correct, but the order doesn't matter.
"site: scubaboard.com (search terms)" is the same as "(search terms) site:scubaboard.com"

An advantage of the Google search -- even though it misses Instructor-to-Instructor and Thumbs Down (who cares) and the Pub (really who cares) -- is you can use some Booleans in the search terms.

 

[Brett Hatch]

You are correct, but the order doesn't matter.
"site: scubaboard.com (search terms)" is the same as "(search terms) site:scubaboard.com"

That's true, but not what was posted in your OP:

In Google, type "https://Scubaboard.com site: (search terms)" or even just "Scubaboard: (search terms)"

Maybe there was a typo in the OP.

I do find both the Google "site:scubaboard.com <search terms here>" approach, and SB's built-in search function to have their uses. The search function, for example, can search within a subforum, or for posts by a particular user, which are not concepts in Google's search. And of course, as Pete says, not all of SB is indexed by Google, but it is all indexed within the internal search function. Google's search does seem to be faster, and the search operators it offers are quite powerful.

 

[-JD-]

That's true, but not what was posted in your OP:

Maybe there was a typo in the OP.

I do find both the Google "site:scubaboard.com <search terms here>" approach, and SB's built-in search function to have their uses. The search function, for example, can search within a subforum, or for posts by a particular user, which are not concepts in Google's search. And of course, as Pete says, not all of SB is indexed by Google, but it is all indexed within the internal search function. Google's search does seem to be faster, and the search operators it offers are quite powerful.

Google will also tend to break results out by thread at the top level, whereas the SB search produces a pile of posts. Each can be both good and bad.

 

[scubadada]

That's true, but not what was posted in your OP:

Maybe there was a typo in the OP.

I do find both the Google "site:scubaboard.com <search terms here>" approach, and SB's built-in search function to have their uses. The search function, for example, can search within a subforum, or for posts by a particular user, which are not concepts in Google's search. And of course, as Pete says, not all of SB is indexed by Google, but it is all indexed within the internal search function. Google's search does seem to be faster, and the search operators it offers are quite powerful.

Yes, I was going to bring up search by member or specific search by forum or even thread. I find these functions extremely useful

 

[lowwall]

That's true, but not what was posted in your OP:

Maybe there was a typo in the OP.

I do find both the Google "site:scubaboard.com <search terms here>" approach, and SB's built-in search function to have their uses. The search function, for example, can search within a subforum, or for posts by a particular user, which are not concepts in Google's search.

You can sort of do user searches by putting the username in quotes. It's not 100% reliable, but it's decent. For example:

site:scubaboard.com "Brett Hatch" bonaire