Google Custom Search Engines (CSEs) is a powerful Sourcing tool, that can improve your Sourcing process with new results, often faster than “regular” Google.
CSE users fall roughly into three categories:
- End-user. If writing out search operators is not your cup of tea, you can use CSEs built by your more technical peers, without even learning advanced operators.
- Creator. Creating CSEs is not rocket science! Creating CSEs for your own and your peers’ use has numerous advantages. You can create CSEs that would “hide” Boolean operators, such as site:, from the end user (saving time on retyping), search within a list of sites, and, importantly, use CSE search options unavailable in “regular” Google. For example, you can set a CSE to “search the entire web but emphasize included sites” – it is like “Soft” X-Ray.
- Master. Unknowingly to many, CSEs have additional search operators compared to “regular” Google. These operators allow finding not just web pages with the keyword occurrences but pages where a particular term is in a person’s company or job title, for example. Learning how to identify and use the special operators takes a bit of a learning curve, but it is well worth it.
Let me share with you some Custom Search Engines for Sourcing that I have created.
- Diversity Associations
- Hidden Resumes
- LinkedIn X-Ray
- LinkedIn – Countries
- LinkedIn – Contact Info
- XING X-Ray
- Github Profiles
- Search for Teachers
- Documents – Formats
- Google Storage
Enjoy!
We will be delivering a Custom Search Engines Webinar >>> Become A Custom Search Engines Expert. Don’t miss it!
Comments 5
Thanks for the article but the links to the searches don’t work
is there a way to get more than 10 results on one page?
Author
Hi Viet,
You can get 20 results per page with a setting in the CSE Control Panel.
Hi
Can we source profiles as per years of experience.
Previously we could do YOE:2 on Linkedin and get desired results but now not happening.
Any solution for this plz.
Thanks.
Author
Hi Abhisek,
Unfortunately, there is no longer a solution.