Computer Related > Google search options Miscellaneous
Thread Author: L'escargot Replies: 10
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New Sun 9 May 10 07:29 
 Google search options - L'escargot
Is it possible to configure Google so that you have the choice of searching just the UK or the whole web?
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New Sun 9 May 10 08:08 
 Google search options - smokie
You must have found Google Preferences? www.google.co.uk/preferences?hl=en. So there's nothing there, except language.

I tried to work out whether going to google.co.uk rather than google.com makes a difference, but I can't see it does.

So IMO the answer is no (although you can obviously choose for it to do so each time you search by using Advanced Search then Date, Usage Rights etc)
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New Sun 9 May 10 09:06 
 Google search options - Zero
you use google.co.uk, and then do a search in the search box. When the results come up you then click the "pages from the UK"

used to be a radio button under the search box but can be on the L/H side of the page.
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New Sun 9 May 10 09:25 
 Google search options - Iffy
I click 'pages from the UK' before doing the search.

It's only one extra click for each search, but if there was a way to set 'pages from the UK' permanently, I would do so.
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New Sun 9 May 10 11:35 
 Google search options - John H
Google have changed their search engine and defaults as from 5 May 2010.
More details here
googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/spring-metamorphosis-googles-new-look.html

That makes it a little bit more difficult to achieve L'escargot's aim but it can now be done in IE8 as follows:
Go to the IE8 search provider settings and drill down to Create your own Search Provider
The process is a little long winded, and to save you the hassle, this is where it leads to
www.ieaddons.com/gb/createsearch.aspx

There in the URL box copy and paste the following URL
www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=test&btnG=Google+Search&meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB&aq=f&oq=

In the Name box, call it - say - Google UK Results or whatever else you prefer

Then click "Install Search Provider" button. Done.

I find Opera browser the easiest to fine tune search options and it has some good features with right click such as search using engine this or that, or paste and go, and so on.
Last edited by: John H on Sun 9 May 10 at 11:38
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New Sun 9 May 10 11:52 
 Google search options - Stuartli
Even if you type google.com in the Address Box, it will normally divert to google.co.uk. Been like that for a long time.

However, you will then find a google.com link just underneath the Search form field that will take you there and vice-versa.

I suspect it something to do with advertising links in the first instance.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Sun 9 May 10 at 11:53
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New Sun 9 May 10 22:13 
 Google search options - John H

>>
>> However, you will then find a google.com link just underneath the Search form field that
>> will take you there and vice-versa.
>>

As I said, Google have changed their search engine and defaults as from 5 May 2010. I do not see the google.com link where it used to appear before the changes were made by Google to make their search results page look more like Bing.com
More details here googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/spring-metamorphosis-googles-new-look.
html


The method I posted above achieves what L'escargot asked for, namely to get results that display pages from the UK at the first click as opposed to the normal default which used to show the entire web results and required the user to click a radio button to limit the search to UK pages.
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New Mon 10 May 10 07:24 
 Google search options - L'escargot
Thanks everyone. I've decided to use Zero's suggestion of searching google.co.uk and then clicking on "Pages from the UK". It's simple enough and quick enough for my needs.
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New Mon 10 May 10 07:41 
 Google search options - hjd
The new display is more cluttered and I preferred the old one - it was also better for getting OUK results without having to get the whole world one first.
If you prefer the old look (although, sadly, not with the Search UK button) change the display language to Pirate.
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New Mon 10 May 10 07:53 
 Google search options - L'escargot
Now that I've found out how to get Pirate, that's what I use. (Shiver me timbers, I searched in google.co.uk for pirate!) The search results are laid out more clearly because it uses the full width of the page, and it's very similar to the previous Google.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Mon 10 May 10 at 07:56
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New Mon 10 May 10 08:44 
 Google search options - CGNorwich


Hacker is amusing
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