Important Internet Research Information for Writers

The internet is a treasure-trove of information vital to the
aspiring or established writer. Whether you are an article
writer, book writer or looking to write content for websites, the
following will help.

Before looking at the free ways to gather information, you may
like to know there's a new tool on the block for conducting
internet searches and it's called Search Automator.

To say that Search Automator is a comprehensive search tool is an
under-statement. It includes a phenomenal range of search options
all focused in one place. All you need to do is type in the
word or phrase you want to search on. You are then presented
with a vast array of useful options related to your search: lists
of websites, ebooks, tutorials, resources, checklists, guides,
tips, tricks, articles, MP3s, videos, images, pdf files and so
much more. It's got neat built-in keyword research tools too. All
in an incredibly easy to use interface.

It's fast, it's slick and no other search tool on the internet
even comes close to what Search Automator can offer. It really is
worth your while to check out the full specs of this very
reasonably priced and amazing time-saving tool.

If your budget won't stretch to Search Automator right now, use
the google.com search engine to find writing material. Here are
some ways you might not have thought of:

Type a keyword or phrase relevant to your subject into the
google.com search box. Then, read through the websites of the
first five search engine results on the left side of the page to
stimulate your thinking. Additionally, search on the keyword or
phrase and review e.g. type used cars + review in the google.com
search box. The resulting search engine listings may reveal all
kinds of reviews and comparison sites from which you can extract
information and ideas. It's important to point out however, that
what is written on other people's websites is copyrighted, which
means you cannot copy what they have written but you can
certainly use their websites to harvest ideas.

Look for key terms used on the websites e.g. used cars includes
words like: prices, values, private sales, how to buy, how to
sell, auto financing etc.. A list of these terms can be noted as
you browse through each site. Here's another example using the
term "baby clothes": designer baby clothes, gift ideas,
accessories, photo albums etc. etc. These terms can then be used
as building blocks for writing paragraphs.

Does the website have a sitemap? Look in the sitemap for things
like a feedback area which will have customer comments, or a
press release section - again, a rich source of writing ideas.

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