Using the Keyword search engine is easy. First, type a word or phrase into the "Enter Keyword(s)" text box.

Next, select from the 2 types of keyword searches:

• Search for Matching Topics: If you choose this option, you'll see a list of matching topics after you click the "Start a Search" button. The list will be in order by the number of services available for each topic, from highest to lowest. Select one of the topics from the list to get the results. All of the words you type in the keyword text box will be used in the search, so the more words used, the more narrow the results will be.
• Search for Matching Provider and Service Names: If you choose this option, the search results will be based on provider names and service names that match the keyword(s) you entered.

The search engine will try to locate providers or services that have exact matches for ALL the words in the "Enter Keyword(s)" text box. For example, if "legal assistance" is in the "Enter Keyword(s)" text box, the search results list will include all services that contain both "legal" AND "assistance" - or forms of those words.

Here are some ways to be successful with your Keyword search:

Multiple words

• Use several keywords to make your meaning clear -- type in home health care instead of care
• Be as specific as possible -- use medical transportation instead of transportation
• Use synonyms and vary spelling -- older adult, senior citizen, elderly

Alternative phrase

If you are using a phrase like prenatal services for your keyword and you receive zero results, try using an alternative phrase like prenatal care or prenatal program - or just prenatal.

Related words or phrases

If you use one word like prenatal and you receive zero results or a small number of results, try using related words instead - for example, pregnancy, pregnant, baby, birth or newborn.

Spelling variations

You may have chosen a compound word as your keyword that could be spelled in different ways. For example, child care or childcare. Words with prefixes also vary in the way they are spelled. For example, non-profit could be spelled with a hyphen (non-profit) or without a hyphen (non profit), or without a space (nonprofit). Try variations in spelling like these when entering keywords.

Another Option

If you don't know what keywords to use to find the services you're looking for, try using the Topic Search option. Click on the "Search By Topics" tab near the top of the page to use this method.

If the list of services is too long, you can narrow it further by using some additional tools. These tools are available in the "Narrow Your Results" pane to the left of the service list.

Search Within These Results

Enter a word or phrase, and then click the "Search" button. The original list of services will be changed to show only the services that contain ALL of the new words you entered. Refer to the "Using the Keyword Search Interface" help topic for more details on how keyword searching works.

Narrow Search Results by Distance

You can narrow the list of services to show just the services that are within a distance radius of a ZIP code. First select a distance radius from the dropdown list. Then enter a ZIP code in the text box. Finally, click the "Show" button. The service list will be refined to show only services that are located within the selected distance radius.

Narrow Search Results by Service Features

Display only the services that offer specific features that are important to you. For example, would you like to limit the list of services to just those that are on a public bus route and offer a specific payment option? After clicking this link, you'll see a list of features offered by the services in the list you were just viewing. Choose as many of the features as you'd like by checking the box next to those features. Click "Modify Results" and the list of services will change to display only the services that have ANY of the features you selected. Services that have more matching features will appear higher in the new list than services that have fewer matching features.