Some reach small portions of a Net containing billions of websites. Some provide a few jewels amid a mishmash of irrelevant sites. And some provide favorable paid listing placements to commercial sites instead of providing the sites you'd prefer.

Determining what works best for you is more than a technological question. Sometimes it just boils down to what search tool suits your tastes.

By popularity alone, Google and Yahoo cover about 75% of the online searches. And those who take the time to learn all the search methods available in Google alone are likely to find it meets their needs more than 90% of the time.

When Google's not enough for a search engine, or Yahoo's directory doesn't reach where you want to go, things begin to get more complicated.

The most serious researchers, perhaps paid professionals and college students, can try to keep pace with all the latest by visiting sites like Search Engine Watch , by subscribing to its newsletters - Search Day or Search Engine Report - or other research tool newsletters like Research Buzz by Tara Calishain. (The latter is one we highly recommend for all Net users).

All that's necessary for most folks, however, is to find a small set of search engines that combine simplicity with relevant results. Beyond the two most popular, some prefer the speedy AllTheWeb, the simplicity of Ask Jeeves or the clustered results of Teoma, and there's also several metasearchers that simultaneously use multiple search tools, then group the results in different ways. Vivisimo, ixquick and SurfWax were among the best of these when this page was initially written, but in the fast-changing Net, these may have become outdated already.

As of January 2006, the two most useful multi-search tool sites we've found are Mr. Sapo (it's only drawback is its use of frames which makes url retrieval a little more complicated) and Fagan Finder.

And what if you're seeking more specialized information? You may be looking for a person's phone number or a website's domain name owner. Or maybe you require science or health info. Perhaps you're looking for government data, biographies, law, music or videos.

Whatever your needs or whatever the needs of your site visitors are, ReachM can provide the correct assembly of tools to satisfy them. In fact, for all but the most narrow specialty topics, adding one or several searchboxes to your website is a service ReachM provides at no extra cost to you.

This is just one more way ReachM aims to keep you and your customers satisfied. In the wide open spaces of the internet, neighbor, this'll keep the trail ride shorter and it'll fill your chow wagon with nothing but the tastiest victuals.