The easiest way to search on AOL Search is to simply type a word or a phrase that describes what you're looking for in the search box on search.aol.co.uk, then click Search or press the Enter key. If you are looking for images, video or news information, try one of our specialized search features. Just select the appropriate link below the search box.

Tips to help your search:

Select your search terms carefully. Use specific, descriptive words instead of general ones. For example, searching for blueberry pancake recipes instead of recipes increases your chances of finding blueberry pancake recipes.
To find an exact phrase, put quote marks around your search terms. For example, use "Charlie and the Chocolate factory" to find content for the movie. You can also use hyphens to connect a phrase such as brother-in-law.
To exclude specific words in your search, type a minus sign (-) in front of the search term. For example, to find content about vegetables with no mention of zucchini, search for vegetables -zucchini. Make sure to include a space before the minus sign (-), but not after.
To find content for two or more topics of equal interest, use OR in between your search words. For example, to find information on either poodles or schnoodles, search for poodles OR schnoodles.

If you don't get any results with search words, try using different words with the same meaning.
You don’t have to worry about capitalization when entering search terms. AOL Search doesn’t differentiate between uppercase and lowercase letters.

You don't need to use "and" between words in your search. AOL Search automatically inserts and between words separated by a space.
What are some tips for a better local search?

We frequently receive questions from users who are looking for ways to find local information more efficiently. This isn't surprising given that the percentage of local search queries grows every year. Knowing how to conduct effective local searches can help you more easily find resources in your community. In this post, we'll look at several different types of local searches and some of the resources that AOL Search builds in to make your local search experience even better.
What are some tips for a better product search?

People are being much more frugal these days, so doing your homework before you make a purchase is especially important now.

Whether you're just beginning to research a purchase, comparing prices or buying a specific item, AOL Search can help you make your shopping decisions. In this lesson, we'll look at some techniques you can use to incorporate web search more effectively during the purchase process.

Research your purchase

When you're beginning to research a purchase, you may want to start by comparing several makes or models. There are numerous sites online that can help you find ratings and reviews, and the best way to start is often with a simple keyword search.

For example, try:

digital camera reviews
compare digital cameras
digital SLR reviews
compare cheap digital cameras
If you already have an idea of which cameras you'll be considering, you can also try a keyword search for a brand or a specific product line. For example, try:

Canon digital camera reviews
Canon EOS Rebel reviews
How do I build a great search query?

We rely on web search to help us find all kinds of information, from consumer reports to local news to book reviews (and even long-lost friends from high school).

But finding the information you're looking for depends on your ability to effectively ask the search engine for information; in other words, your web search results can only be as good as the query you build to produce them. In this section, we'll look at building queries from the ground up. We'll start with simple keyword queries before looking at the effect of expanding and narrowing language.