Searching Upstream

"Searching upstream" is my technique for finding web pages that contain hyperlinks to specific webpages.
Some of the most valuable web pages are built by a "person without a life"  Such web pages may be obscure, and not highly ranked at search engines like Google. You can still find these pages based on the many hyperlinks embedded within such a great page.

 Russ Portrait
My Concept of Searching Upstream:

search_upstream.gif (9665 bytes)

Look at the three numbered scenarios above to see the value in these different approaches to searching:

  1. You discover a valuable web page called target.html.  Most people simply explore the hyperlinks contained within target.html.  Those links take you to places suggested by the author of target.html.  All you are able to discover, are the pages which are located "downstream" of target.html
  2. You discover a valuable web page called target.html.  In order to help judge the importance, or popularity of the page, it would be nice to know : "How many other web pages contain hyperlinks pointing towards target.html".  This is what I call "searching upstream" of a web page.  This shows how many web authors know about the target site, and they felt that the site was "good enough" to deserve a hyperlink from their own web site.   If a target web page looks very obscure, you might be able to infer something about the author of the target web page based on who else links toward the target web page.  Here are two example searches:
            "www.whitehouse.gov" <-- shows pages that mention   www.whitehouse.gov
            "navigators.com/isp.html" <-- shows pages that mention my specific web page about Internet Service Providers.
  3. You discover two valuable web pages called target.html and other_target.html.  If you can find any web pages that link to both of these pages, then you may discover a great page such as "Joe's huge list of target websites"  for the subject covered by these target pages.

Example search Results   

search format at 
google  or  bing
Search Results
“www.example.com”
contain text: www.example.com
“www.example.com/pageA.html”
contain text of the specific page address
+“www.example1.com” +“www.example2.com”
contain text of  both example site addresses. 
This is a great way to discover “user pages”
(e.g. Joe's guide to many example-sites)
Note that the "+" signs are needed when using Bing to do this search.  The "+" should not be needed at Google.

Example searches: .

- Cyber Security firms: "www.fortinet.com" "www.fireeye.com"  at google = cyberscurity 500,
- Social Media search tools +"search.twitter.com" +"www.boardtracker.com" (at bing, at google) = A Wiki of social media monitoring sites, 
- People Search tools: "www.pipl.com" "www.spokeo.com" at google = A useful list from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
- Port authorities (list at Yahoo):  +"www.portofantwerp.be"  +"www.portvancouver.com" (at bing, at google ) =  Seaport links,(archive, Don Nugent) Mother of all Maritime links.
- Mircro-breweries:  +"www.allagash.com"  +"www.dogfish.com"  ( at bing, at google ) =  breweries on the web. brewery collectables club, US Craft Brewery Database
- Colombia Newspapers (list at Yahoo) :  +"www.elmundo.com" +"www.elcolombiano.com" =(at bing, at google )  Wikipedia list of papers, News and media from Colombia, (nestar anzolar )
- List of 6000+ think tanks = TTCSP Global Go To Think Tank Index report.
- VPN Providers "privatetunnel.com" "nordvpn.com" at google = privacyscore.org

Another example of searching upstream:

In the diagram below, you will see how your "Searching upstream" results will vary depending on which pair of target sites you use:

 

Russ Haynal - Internet Instructor and Speaker

Contact me at 703-729-1757 or  Russ 'at' navigators.com  
If you use email, put "internet training" in the subject of the email.
Copyright ©  Information Navigators