Search Engine Optimization

Basically, any search performed on a database using a computer is exactly the same as going to a filing cabinet to find a document.

If something has been misfiled, or you can't remember the spelling of the document title you're looking for, the document might as well be in the trash because you're not going to find it.

So, the downside to relying on keywords to search using a computer, on the web or offline, is that it's easy to enter keywords which won't necessarily find their target.

Also, the way websites are set up, some inexperienced administrators can omit keywords during construction which are vital to searches.

I know of one professional firm which allowed an outside expert to set up their site, with the awful result that all the keywords their expert deemed 'unnecessary' were deleted, leaving only a few search terms which had no hope of topping the results list from a search by their target market. Even plurals of words were discarded. Nobody in the firm checked the new website to be sure prospective clients would quickly find them.

This occurs with many websites: their owners frequently don't think of pretending to be a total stranger doing a search in order to see how easy they are to find; many also don't try to navigate their own websites and are astonished to discover the website designer's made a shocking mess of it.

For many website owners, if it looks good it must be okay. Some firms check their websites to make sure their photo looks good and their name's spelled right, and that's it.

So a searcher must allow for these contingencies.

The search should start with basic keywords appropriate to the search target, with more terms added if the results aren't as expected. Learn to used 'advanced search' options, and make use of logical operators, if your search engine supports them. Keep track of improvements and changes (not necessarily the same thing) in the search engine to see whether new operators are available, and so on.

The upside to keyword searching on the web is that search engines, or crawlers, are pretty smart creatures and getting smarter all the time, so even keywords which once would have been too vague and returned unwieldy and unusable results can now come closer to their target than in the past.

Check out alternative search facilities frequently; don't stay faithful to just one for old times' sake! I use Clusty (link below) because it sorts its results into folders, making it simple to pick out the hot topics among the results. But there are many more search engines out there; keep abreast of developments.

If you are asked to develop a searchable database, don't reinvent the wheel! List all the possible techniques and refinements you can think of, and keep adding to it as you have new ideas.

When you've got a fairly comprehensive wish-list, go looking for established databases which might be similar to your perfect vision. Check with places using search facilities you admire, and get in contact with as many people in the know as you can.

Too many people fall for a goodlooking, expensive system that operates just fine for others but is not, they discover too late, the best for them.

Google got it right; so can others.

There are some colleges and universities that offer accelerated programs, however you will have to research them. Read the below.

For colleges and universities within the United States and its territories, you can obtain this information by clicking on the related links section (College Board) indicated at the bottom of this answer section and using the College Board site College MatchMaker search engine. You can research colleges and universities by name, or by programs of study, or by geographical location, size, or combinations of part or all of them. The site will provide you with a list of institutions based on your request. It will give you the schools background, accreditation, degree offerings, programs of study (majors), entrance requirements, tuition and fees, financial assistance, room and board, athletic programs, school activities, etc., and a link to each institutions official web page. Practice navigating this site. It will be well worth the time and effort.

WARNING!!!

When choosing a college or university within the United States, make sure the institution has a regional accreditation. With a regional accreditation you can be assured the coursework and degree you complete will be recognized by all other colleges and universities as well as employers. Below I have listed the six regional accrediting agencies and their geographical areas of responsibility. I am disclosing the below so you do not become a victim of educational scams, institutions that are nothing more than diploma mills, or that do not have the best accreditation, and are eager to take your money for a degree that is worthless. Make sure the institution is accredited by one of following responsible agencies.

Regional Accreditation Agencies

· Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools - Educational institutions in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, as well as schools for American children in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

· New England Association of Schools and Colleges - Educational institutions in the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).

· North Central Association of Colleges and Schools - Educational institutions in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

· Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities - Postsecondary institutions (colleges and universities) in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

· Western Association of Schools and Colleges - Educational institutions in California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Micronesia, Palau, and Northern Marianas Islands.

· Southern Association of Colleges and Schools - Educational institutions in Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas.