Getting the most out of Google

I have begun to list some of the Google tools and links that journalists find especially useful. Please send in your ideas. Thanks!

Google
Google Zeitgeist – See patterns and trends using data from billions of searches. Included in Zeitgeist:

• Google Insights for Search – Type in topics that you write about to learn search patterns by date and region.
• Google Trends – Easily compare search terms of your choice over time.
• Hot Trends – See the 100 fastest rising searches in the U.S.
• Trends for websites – See traffic data for websites of your choice.
• Google Reader – Automatically scans your favorite blogs and news sites for new content.

Cool Internet sites for journalists

I have begun to list great websites and tools for journalists. Please send in your ideas. Thanks!

Find news, conversations, trends
Happn – Twitter trends and feeds by city.

Find information
Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine – An archive of more than 150 billion web pages that have been deleted from their original sites.

Find people
Pipl – Search for information about interview subjects and others. Pipl retrieves information from the so-called “invisible web,” or “deep web,” which does not always immediately show up in Google searches.
Zabasearch – Another people search engine that looks for information from databases that Google crawlers miss.
Networked Solution’s WHOIS – A great way to find out who is behind a domain.

How to come up with story ideas

Check out this Craigslist ad: (Download PDF of story idea tipsheet)

Do you have a pressing need to come up with new ideas in whatever field you may be in, whether it be business, creative, marketing, or anything….
Tell me your problem and I will brainstorm up ideas for it….
I will expect $20 per hour of my time coming up with ideas for you, but as I am starting out, payment will only be required upon your satisfaction. Only serious responses please.

The good news is, you can keep your money. You don’t have to hire a professional brainstormer to come up with story ideas. You can do it yourself. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Keep up with the news. Sign up for Google news alerts to get the latest information about your topics of interest. Relentless curiosity never hurts.