Everyday life online
Search effectively and pick a result
What you will be able to do In 5 minutes, you'll know how to phrase a precise search and spot a paid result before clicking on it.
You type a few words into your browser, the program that displays websites, and a page of answers appears. This program that sorts the answers is called a search engine. Among the answers, some are chosen because they match your words best: these are natural results. Others are paid for by a company to appear right at the top: these are sponsored results, a form of advertising. The two look alike, and nothing requires the first one on the list to be the most reliable or the cheapest. We're going to practice phrasing a search well, then choosing a result with full knowledge, on a screen we designed. Nothing here is real, so nothing can happen to you.
Simulated screen
I practice
This screen was drawn by us. Nothing is sent, nothing is installed, and no real brand is shown.
The situationOn a Sunday evening, a tap is leaking at home, and you search for a plumber on your phone.
The interactive exercise needs JavaScript. The written step by step, just below, says exactly the same thing.
The written step by step
The same steps, in words, to read or print. This sheet works even without the exercise.
Phrase a precise search
Your turn Touch the search that will get you to an available plumber tonight the fastest.
We type several precise words: the trade being searched for, the timing ("tonight"), and the place (your town or neighborhood).
Spot the ad
Your turn Among the answers, touch the one that's actually an ad paid to appear here.
The very first result carries the "Ad" label right before its address: that's the signal that it was paid to be here.
Choose what really answers your need
Your turn Now, touch the result that best answers your need tonight.
We choose a natural result that speaks precisely to the need: here, available tonight, with reviews, or an official directory of tradespeople.
Check the address before you go
Your turn Touch the site's name in the full address, the part that truly decides where you're going.
We read the address piece by piece: after "https://" and up to the first forward slash, that's the site's name, here artisans-de-quartier.example.
When nothing fits
Your turn None of the results on the first page truly satisfy you. Touch the right reaction.
We rephrase with even more precise words: a street name, an exact time, or a type of job. The right answer is rarely found by forcing the first link that comes along.
The sheet to keep
- A search engine looks for words, not the meaning of a sentence. The more precise your words, the better the answers.
- Some results are paid to appear at the top of the list: they carry the label "Ad" or "Sponsored".
- Being at the top of the list doesn't mean being the most reliable or the cheapest, especially for an emergency repair.
- Before touching a result, you can read its full address: the site's name is right before the first forward slash.
- If nothing fits on the first page, rephrase with more precise words rather than giving in to impatience.
The reflexes in this skill
I stop before I click
Urgency is the sign of a trap. A message that counts down the hours is trying to stop you from thinking. Putting your phone down for two minutes costs nothing, and it is almost always enough.
I go through the official door
The address typed in by hand, the app installed from the official store, the phone number printed on the back of your card. Never the link someone hands you, even when it looks right.
The padlock is not enough: I read the address
The little padlock icon means the connection is encrypted, not that the site is honest. A scam site has one too. The name of the site sits just before the first forward slash: that is where to look.
Two questions to check
Nothing is graded, and nothing is saved anywhere except in your own browser.
On a results page, how do you recognize a result paid to appear at the top?
See the answer
It carries a label like "Ad" or "Sponsored" near its address
Color and the absence of mistakes prove nothing. The reliable signal is the "Ad" or "Sponsored" label attached to the result, right before its address.
You're searching for a tradesperson urgently and the very first result is an ad. What do you do?
See the answer
I also look at the natural results that follow, often more reliable and cheaper
An ad isn't necessarily dishonest, but its spot is bought, not earned. Looking at the natural results that follow often gives a fairer, cheaper choice.
I've done it
Check this box once you can do this skill on your own.
Your progress stays in your own browser.