Don't Let Google Tell You How to People Search

Last week, I was searching online for an item that I have always wanted, an authentic Japanese baseball hat. I began my search in the same manner that millions do each day as I typed into a search box and then hit the Google search button. My search yielded 1.5 million results, so of course, I began my purchasing journey with the companies on the first result page. After spending about twenty minutes viewing outrageous hat prices from Japanese companies, I decided to try something completely insane in the world of internet searching: I ventured off the first page to find the item I wanted.

Now I know this seems like a completely ludicrous thing to do, but I was feeling like taking a chance. I choose results page #7, in tribute to New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, and began to shop the hat vendors on that page. Much to my surprise, I found not one, but two great Japanese baseball hats for only $15 a piece! As a result of my efforts, I am now the proud owner of a Fukuoka Daiei Hawks hat and a Yokohama Bay Stars hat. Life couldn't be better.

After basking in the glow of my victory over traditional internet searching, I began to realize the extremely significant impact that Google search results play on one's purchases. Consumers trust websites that show up in the first page of search results because Google tells us that these websites are the closest matches to what we are looking for. Thus, because Google (the world's most popular search engine) says it, we must believe. However, let's not forget that search results are based on weird search engine factors like keyword density, domain age and link strength. Factors that are considered important by consumers when making a purchase, such as customer satisfaction, product selection and price, are not considered a priority by Google and most other search engines. Sadly, consumers are often left with poor choices on the top of the list of search results.

People search web sites are not immune to this "first page phenomenon." In fact, most "people search" web sites listed early in search results are often of little help to the people who need them to run a background checks, find lost relatives, etc. In fact, if you search for "people search" on Google right now, you will mostly find college student roster searches, social networks and random pages with the word "people search" sprinkled somewhere in them. Though these sites may be relevant to the search term itself, they can't help you check into a business, find childhood friends or perform any of the functions of a typical people search web site. The question now becomes, how do you find a good people search company?

To find a quality people search company, PSN recommends doing your research. First off, check out people search review sites like PSN or People Search Portal to see user reviews. Chances are if a particular site was helpful, users are going to let people know about it. Next, go deep in search results to find the right price and type of search that you are looking for. People search sites vary by price and service, so make sure the search selected will give you exactly the results that you were looking for before you make your purchase. Finally, we always recommend checking how long a company has been in business before we give them our business. Sites such as http://www.free-tools.org/domain-age-check.php can show you if a people search company has been around for years or is just some new "fly-by-night" operation.

Got any more search tips on how to find a good people search company? Send them to PSN at peoplesearchnews@gmail.com