Local Search Frequently Asked Questions
We've tried to answer any questions you might have regarding our new and improved search tool below. If you can't find the answers you're looking for, feel free to send us feedback - we're more than happy to help you!
Why am I getting search results from other websites?
How can I get the best results from the Local Search tool?
What if I don’t get the results I expected?
How do I find an article that was published in the Boston Globe?
What can I search for using this tool? What CAN'T I search for?
Why am I only receiving two results from every source?
How do I get my website included in the search results?
How do I get my business included in the business results? How do I correct my listing?
What is the White Pages search?
How do you index video and audio?
What are "Our Picks?"
What are "Recommended Searches?"
How can I search directly from my browser?
Why am I getting search results from other websites?
Boston.com's Local Search tool goes beyond the standard site search. Now, in addition to serving up hoards of content from The Boston Globe and Boston.com, we're scanning ALL local resources in Greater Boston so you don't have to.
So when you type in the name of a restaurant or sports star (or anything else of interest locally, for that matter), we'll show you everything relevant from The Boston Globe and Boston.com. But we won't stop there. In addition, we'll provide the best information from THOUSANDS of sources across Greater Boston, including area newspapers, magazines, websites, and blogs -- and information on businesses from Google's map search as well.
How can I get the best results from the Local Search tool?
Here are a few quick tips for better results:
- If you are looking for a Boston Globe article, click the "Boston Globe articles only" checkbox to the right of the search box.
- If you entered more than one keyword, try using fewer words. The search engine is set up to find stories that contain ALL the words you type in, so if any one of those words is missing, a link won't show up.
- You can use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase, like "apple pie".
- You can use the tabs across the top of the screen (Site, Events, Multimedia, Businesses, or White Pages) to search either all of Boston.com or one particular type of information.
- You can also use More search options to search by date, type of article, or reporter name.
What if I don't get the results I expected?
If these tricks don't work for you, or if you find a problem that you would like to report to us, please send us feedback and include the following information:
- What you searched for
- What you expected to see on our results page
- What you actually saw
How do I find an article that was published in the Boston Globe?
Click on the "Boston Globe articles only" checkbox next to the search box, on either the Local Search home page or from your search results page. Please note that a small percentage of articles from the Globe are not available because freelance writers sometimes reserve web publication rights for themselves.
What can I search for using this tool? What CAN'T I search for?
Here's what you can find:
- Boston Globe articles since 1979. Everything since 2003 is now free, and will show up on any search. To see older stories, you need to check the "Boston Globe articles only" checkbox before clicking the search button. Those stories are free to Globe subscribers who login through Boston Globe Extras, and is available at a small fee to non-subscribers.
- Boston Globe and Boston.com blogs
- Events and other things to do
- Death notices for the last 365 days, and obituaries (stories about the deceased written by the Globe) since 1979.
- Business listings (the "Yellow Pages") for Greater Boston businesses and government offices, from our partner Google.
- Residential phone listings for Massachusetts are available by clicking on the "White Pages" tab above the search box.
- Results from more than 4,500 news, information, organizational, and personal websites from across Massachusetts (including Boston.com and Boston Globe content)
- Video and audio from Boston-area broadcasters and podcasters
Here's what you can't find:
- All the world's information. We are concentrating on greater Boston, which is what we know best. But then again, this is the "hub of the universe," so you'll find much to satisfy your wide-ranging interests. As an example, we'll have information about Indian food around Boston, and articles about Indian food from the Globe, and bloggers from Boston talking about the Indian food they had for lunch. But if you want to know about Indian food in greater detail, visit a library. Or better yet, book a trip to the subcontinent.
- Some Boston Globe photographs
- Most death notices that are more than a year old
- News stories from other websites more than a few weeks old
Why am I only receiving two search results from every source?
Our search engine scans thousands of area resources to bring you the very best search results. We are displaying the top two results from each of these sites so you can view a full range of offerings from these local resources. If you would like to see additional results from a particular source, you can click on the “View all results” link below the two results.How do I get my website included in the search results?
If you'd like us to consider adding your website to Local Search, send an e-mail to search-producer@boston.com with the name of the site, URL, and your city or town.How do I get my business included in the business results? How do I correct my listing?
Go to Google's Local Business Center to add your business or modify an existing listing. There is no fee for the listing, although you will need to register with Google and complete a simple verification process.What is the White Pages search?
Our White Pages search looks at phone directory listings for Massachusetts compiled by our partner Addresses.com.Additional information about the White Pages is available in the White Pages Help section. To remove your phone number from the database, please use the opt-out form.
How do you index video and audio?
Our partner Everyzing uses voice recognition software to transcribe the videos. The technology isn't perfect, which is why the results sometimes look like gibberish. If you'd like your podcast to be included, send an e-mail to search-producer@boston.com with your URL, podcast feed URL, and city or town.What is "Our Pick?"
One of the things that we think makes our search a better choice for local information is our ability to recommend and highlight some of the results that the search application provides. We've looked at some of the most popular search terms and created an "Our Pick" result of the information we think you might want to see first.What are "Recommended Searches?"
The "Recommended Searches" list is designed to highlight interesting search terms on Boston.com. Some searches are featured here because they are popular with Boston.com users, while others have been selected by our Local Search team because they produce topical and relevant results.How can I search directly from my browser?
We have a plug-in that adds a Boston.com search option directly to the search bar on more recent versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox. If you would like to install the plug-in, please select the link that matches your browser:- For Internet Explorer, version 7.0 and above, and Firefox, version 2.0 and above, click here to install the plug-in.
- For Firefox, versions 1.5-1.9, click here to install the plug-in.
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