Using Bard to Research a Topic on Internet

It was just another day at work when my manager gave me a new content assignment: to conduct research on a science-related issue that was utterly foreign to me. With a short timeline and minimal previous knowledge, I realized I had to find a means to swiftly and efficiently obtain all of the necessary information. But how exactly? Let’s find out how Google Bard saved me and how can it help you research a topic on the internet.

Basics

Bard is a google's AI assistant. It can be accessed here bard.google.com/chat. ↗

Anyone with a Google account can use Bard absolutely free today. Bard is constantly improving and new features are being rolled out almost every month.

Bard presents you with a Chat like interface where you ask it questions and it responds to those questions with answers.

What’s the crux with Google Bard? Can Bard help research a topic on the internet?

Google Bard, an incredible artificial intelligence (AI) tool built by Google, has become my go-to when I need to conduct Internet research on any issue. It's like having a knowing friend who knows everything from the number of suns in the galaxy to which bird species are endemic to Australia or Africa.

The best part is that Google Bard is now powered by Gemini Pro, which has got an edge over the ChatGPT 4 model.

Consider Gemini Pro to be a supercharged brain. It's similar to a big library with mountains of text and code, but much cooler.

It enables me to –

• Understand things better

• Chat like a super champ

• Think outside the usual box

• Stay focused on a particular point

ChatGPT 4 is also really nice, but consider it a slightly smaller library with less sophisticated tools. It may struggle with some of the more difficult tasks that Gemini Pro accomplishes with ease.

So, by picking Bard, you're essentially getting a brain-powered update for your AI helper. And, yeah, Bard can be a pretty amazing tool for thoroughly researching a topic on the internet.

But the question is – how to use Bard to research a topic on internet? Let’s dig into that.

Using Bard to research a topic on internet – How easy it is?

The internet is brimming with massive amounts of information and people are continuously browsing the internet for content. And, with AI tools, things have quickly gone to a new level.

According to Hootsuite, AI tools are being frequently used to assist businesses in writing, making videos and pictures and even suggesting the best hashtags and times to post.

It is much easier to carry out internet research using artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Bard and Perplexity because these tools provide website links where required content can be obtained. How lovely! Isn't that right?

Let’s find out how Bard can be used to research a topic on internet.

Using Bard to research a topic on internet – Finding the right sources

So, when my manager assigned me a science topic on how to produce hydrogen from household objects, I was taken aback because the topic was unfamiliar to me, and I came from an arts background.

Then I came across Google Bard. Perhaps the best thing that has ever occurred to me. Bard saved me from a bad day and instantly pushed me to a legendary class.

I went to Google Bard dashboard and understood the prompts that I could use.

I typed in a prompt like this in Bard –

“You are an expert in digital research and have access to Google. Please provide a list of major websites and information where I can learn how to manufacture hydrogen using frequently accessible market products.”

And, hit Enter.

It's bingo time! I was damned to see so much useful content in front of me in just a few seconds.

Bard did a wonderful job and provided me with the correct sources (website links) where I could discover information on producing hydrogen from everyday goods.

The secret to getting in-depth information/results using Bard is to pick the right prompts.

Here’s my way of Google Bard prompt –

I keep the first part/sentence of the prompt to show Bard what it's capable of. It’s just like a gentle reminder. Bard recognizes it and acts accordingly.

The next phrases should include a clear breakdown of what Bard should do for you. So, in this part, I try to be as honest and elaborative as possible.

But, there’s more to it. Bard is considered a content creation powerhouse and can used to do more types of research.

Using Bard to research a topic on internet – Finding YouTube channels

Since my previous case with Bard was successful, I've started using Bard to discover YouTube channels that can help me learn more.

Do you enjoy preparing delicious sauces at home? Or do you want to learn to play the guitar as a beginner?

If this is the case, Bard can immediately assist you with locating suitable YouTube channels that teach you how to make sauces or play guitar.

Let’s see some prompts for this –

You are an expert digital research specialist and you have access to Google. Give me a list of YouTube channels (with URL links of channels) that teach how to make amazing sauces using DIY.

*> You are an expert in digital research and have access to Google. Please provide me with a list of YouTube channels (with URL links to the channels) that teach how to play guitar chords and create beautiful rhythms.

Using Bard to research a topic on internet – Finding niche pages of particular websites

Now, here’s another concern to consider.

You need to study different blog articles of a particular website on a certain topic.

How do you do that using Bard?

Can we find a list of relevant pages of a particular website?

The answer is YES.

Bard can be a super handy tool for researching a lot of information on a specific website.

For example, let’s take the example of the following prompt –

You are an expert in digital research and have access to Google. Provide me with a list of Forbes pages/websites/links that provide statistics on adopting AI products in 2023.

This prompt provides all of the major pages from Forbes' website that contain statistics about AI tool use in 2023. That's awesome!

Using Bard to research a topic on internet – Semantic search brilliance

This is another great thing they did with Bard.

Google Bard is useful in semantic search as well. It tries to connect the user intent and context of the prompt.

Basically, this Google’s AI tool understands the relationship between words and concepts. It goes beyond keyword matching to give more meaningful results.

Let’s say – I’m planning a trip to New Delhi in summer. Can Bard help me know the best places to visit in New Delhi?

Bard’s output is bang on target when I used the following prompt.

“I'm planning a trip to New Delhi in summer. What are some unique attractions I shouldn't miss?”

The prompt provided me with a list of popular spots in New Delhi.

It also included natural and outdoor activities in New Delhi. It also provided me with more details such as historical and cultural information as well as events in the area.

Using Bard to research a topic on internet – Doing keyword research

Now, you can’t miss the best part of Bard. It’s an impressive AI tool that can help you with SEO and keyword research as well.

I was literally amazed by the results Bard gave when I used it to search for some keywords.

My objective was to compile a list of long-tail keywords with a reasonable keyword difficulty score and a high search volume.

My target keywords are "email marketing," and I'd also like to find some long tail keywords with the phrase "email marketing" in them.

Here’s what I did with the prompt. I pushed a well-detailed prompt into Bard, and got everything I needed.

“You are an expert in Keyword research, keyword search volume statistics and keyword difficulty and you have also access to internet and know average cost per click for keywords in Google Ads. I want to make a SEO strategy and I want to create content related to keywords - "email marketing". I want you to provide me a list of 30 long-tail keywords for this short tail keyword called "email marketing". For each keyword, provide me their average search volume, keyword difficulty score in terms of ranking on Google SERP and the average cost per click. The long tail keywords must contain the original short keywords i.e. "email marketing". Give me in a tabular format.”

The above prompt returned me 30 long-tail keywords, their estimated search volume, keyword difficulty from 0 to 100 and average CPC in the standard table format.

Isn’t that amazing? I think it is. Bard is indeed very powerful and cutting-edge. It helped me a lot with research and content creation.

I'm curious if I can utilize it to create amazing video content as well.

Wrapping up

The bottom line is that Bard is pretty cool. It’s like Perplexity and ChatGPT ↗ combined but it is not yet at that level. Google Bard can be used for both simple research and extensive research but you have to master the prompts to make things efficient or quick.

Bard is useful in mostly these areas:

Image search using the upload image feature

Voice search using the little mic button

Semantic search

Finally, Bard doesn’t offer proper results when prompted about things like tragedy, war or controversial topics. I believe as a Google product; it carries the burden of responsibility both in social and corporate circles.

So, a lot of legal loopholes need to be addressed before Bard can become more user-oriented.

If you’re already using Bard, do let me know about your experiences in the comment. I would love to test your ideas.