Google allows stop words in search phrases

(Nov 30 2001) One problem with the Google search engine has been that it has dropped stop words from search queries.

Stop words are common words like the, of, in, where, how, Web etc. In order to search for expressions including such stop words, you have therefore been required to include a + in front of the word (+The +Who).

Search engine expert Greg Notess reports that Google now automatically searches for stop words when they are in phrases (i.e. within double quotation marks), without requiring the + sign in front of them.

This may be an answer to AllTheWeb's recent implementation of automatic query rewriting, a feature that tries to guess if a stop word is part of a meaningful phrase.

According to ResearchBuzz Google is also adding 21 stop words in simplified and traditional Chinese. Next week they'll be adding 56 German stop words.

ResearchBuzz points out that Google's new handling of stop words means that you cannot use stop words as a "wildcard" in a phrase, meaning that you cannot let a stop word represent any hypothetical word in a query. Previously a phrase like "three of mice" would find "three blind mice", "three red mice", etc.

However, Greg Notess notes that you may continue to use the stop word the in this way.

"So, for example, to find "a little neglect may breed mischief" when you are not sure of the second to last word, search "a little neglect may the mischief"," he writes. "The 'the' acts as a whole word wildcard symbol."

Google has also added a "help us improve" link near the end of the results page where you may report why you don't like the results from your query.

Google advanced search help page
The Pandia Goalgetter Web Search Tutorial

More search engine news...

The Pandia Post is our free bimonthly newsletter on Internet searching, search engines and directories.

We will give you the latest news from the world of Internet exploring, useful tips on how to improve your searching skills or search engine ranking, as well as information on the development of the Pandia Search Central.

We will never give your address to any other company or organization.