Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Wonder Wheel

Sounding like something you'd find on a gameshow or a mispronunciation of an old Oasis hit, the Wonder Wheel is actually a feature of Google which readers may find useful, as it can help suggest search terms to narrow down your results.

To access this feature, start by doing a search on Google. Above your search results to the left of the screen you should see a link that says 'Show options...'; click on this and a menu will open with various options to improve your search that you may want to explore.

For now, click on the 'Wonder Wheel' link. This will bring up a graphic of your search, with ideas for related searches (see below for an example).


Simply click on these to look at another graphic with further suggestions for search terms. If you sometimes struggle to think of useful keywords, this may be one way of making your searches more effective. When you've got a collection of words in the centre of your diagram that you're happy with, click on the 'Web' link at the top of the menu and your results are displayed. This method of searching isn't for everyone, but may be worth a try if you have been seeking information for a while without success.

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