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Pick Which Sites Google Will Search For You

Google recently rolled out a new experimental feature that lets you choose which sites you want it to check first when you perform searches.

This is an interesting idea. According to Google, "The preferred sites feature lets you set your Google Web Search preferences so that your search results match your unique tastes and needs. Fill in the sites you rely on the most, and results from your preferred sites will show up more often when they're relevant to your search query."

In other words, let's say I am searching for Mesa Boogie amplifiers. If I am interested only in finding out where I can buy one, and not reading reviews or magazine articles about them, I might choose to add GuitarCenter.com, SamAsh.com, ZZsounds.com, MusiciansFriend.com and other sites to my preferred search list.

This way, when I perform a search for Mesa Boogie, Google will return results from those sites first. The preferred sites feature sort of acts like a filter.

In order for this feature to work, you have to be signed into your Google account. You also have to jump into your Google Preferences and change the settings to enable the feature. According to Google, it will parse your browsing history and offer some suggestions as to which sites you might add to the list.

Once you've added a list of sites, you'll see a little indicator in the search results that lets you know that that particular result came from your list.

Because this feature is experimental, Google is interested in hearing from users. Feel free to read more about it here.

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