If you’ve been reading ResearchBuzz for a while, you probably know that the way you enter your search terms in Google makes a difference. If you enter words in one order, you may very well get a different result count and a different order to the results you get back. (Try searching Google for scratching post and post scratching to get an idea of what I’m talking about.)
I have used this knowledge to benefit over the years, when I needed to narrow down search results or just get a different perspective on what was available. When Google’s new real-time search came out, I assumed word order would no longer make a difference. After all, real-time search is just that — the latest and greatest material that Google is adding to its index. The stream should be the stream, right? No matter what kind of word order you use.
Turns out that’s incorrect; Google does change the real time search results based on your word order. That’s okay, but it does mean if you’re looking for real-time data you may want to play around with your word order, especially if you’re searching for words that don’t make a common phrase.