How to Search the Invisible Web

If you limit your Internet research to a general search engine, such as Google, it is the same thing as limiting your research to just one book.

You wouldn't do that, so why limit your Internet search.

There are many more "books" available online that yield more results you don't want to miss. 

The Invisible Web offers thousands of Web sites, databases and directories you just can't find using a standard search engine.

Why can't you find these treasures? There are several roadblocks. There are four types of invisibility to conquer. According to The Invisible Web by Chris Sherman and Gary Price, there are  four types of barriers:

The Opaque Web-This Web consists of files that are not included in a standard search engine search.

The Private Web-These sites are not indexed Web pages and are deliberately excluded from search engines. Often these sites are password protected.

The Proprietary Web-These pages are only accessible to those who have agreed to special terms such as registration.

The Truly Invisible Web-There is technical reasons keep these sites under wraps. So far, search engines just can't find them with the current technology used to find these directories or databases. However, as the technology grows, these sites may be found in the future.

So, how to break through these barriers? There are ways. A lot depends on how you go about go about designing your approach and understand how to go about it.

One way is simply "ask" a search engine to take you to the Invisible Web. For example, "Bio Science + Invisible Web."  

In addition, you can access special Invisible Web databases, such as:

 Surfwax, Academic Index, Dogpile, Turbo 10, Multiple Searches, Clusty, Mamma, World Curry Guide, Fazzle, IceRocket, Izito, Ujiko, pipl, and Mensur.

These are just a fraction of Invisible Web sites available. You can find even more Invisible Web sites at www.completeplanet.com.