Google Custom Search Engine (beta) Starter Guide - Manual

Starter Guide
Google Custom Search Engine (beta)
Harness the power of Google search to create a tailored search experience that reflects your knowledge
and expertise. A Custom Search Engine is built on the Google Co-op platform. It’s easy to use and to make
your own. In a few quick steps you can create a search engine that looks and feels like your website or
blog; prioritize search results based on your interests; invite members of your community to participate in
growing your search engine content; and if you choose, make money from the search traffic you receive.
Customization Features
Look and Feel – Place your Custom Search Engine search box and results on your website so it looks and
feels like your own. Visitors don’t have to leave your site to get the information they are looking for.
Customized Results – Give your users the search results you think are most important. You specify and
prioritize the sites and pages you want to include in the search results for relevant queries. You can use the
entire Google index or select a smaller set of sites and pages to search across.
Search Refinements – Help your users fine-tune their searches by providing search refinements in the
search results pages. These search refinements are labels you apply to sites and pages to make finding
specific information easier.
Community Collaboration – Invite trusted members of your community to contribute to your search engine
in real time as they surf the web. The Google Marker is a tool that your collaborators can use to easily add
sites to your index, also in real time.
Monetization – Make money from your search traffic by participating in Google’s AdSense program. Google
serves relevant text ads to your search results pages – each time a user clicks on an ad, you make money.
Getting started
Creating a Custom Search Engine is easy. There are a few basic steps to get your search engine up and
running and once it’s built, you can continue to add advanced features and grow your search engine as you
choose.
1. Go directly to http://google.com/coop/cse/.
2. Select ‘Create a Custom Search Engine.’
3. Specify your search settings.
4. Try it out and put it on your site.
1