How Google Can Save You Time With Your Craigslist Search

If you have ever been looking for an apartment, a job or virtually anything else, then I'm am confident that you have spent some time perusing Craigslist. Sorting through Craigslist is time-consuming and for each posting you find interesting, there are bound to be many that you won't even bother with. Still, with patience and time, odds are high that you will eventually find whatever it is you are looking for.

What if you don't have the time to sit in front of your computer for hours going through job postings or rental properties? And even when you see things you are interested in, it can be a challenge to go back and revisit the ad later. And wouldn't it be amazing if you could search though the site while you are on the go? Well, if you have a smart phone, there might be a great solution that will save you tons of time and energy.

To get started, you will need to sign up for GoogleReader. GoogleReader is an application that can save RSS feeds for you to view whenever you like. In fact, you can subscribe to the RSS feed here on this blog and read any new posts at your leisure. If you already have a Google account or a Gmail address, you don't need to do anything more than simply click the Reader link at the top of your Gmail inbox or Google account screen.

Once you have the application set up, visit Craigslist and do a search. If you are looking for specific item, narrow down your search terms until you have it just the way you want it. Or, if you prefer to view all the postings for a certain category, just click the link you want to view results for. The next step is to find the link to the RSS feed for your particular search. The link should be in the bottom right hand corner of the page. If you are using Firefox, there should also be an orange RSS icon in the address bar. If you aren't using Firefox, then you should (just my opinion).

If you have never subscribed to an RSS feed before, you will get a prompt when you click the link, asking you what program should be used to view it. Select GoogleReader. Now, you should be all set. From then on, you can access the feed from the Reader through your computer or your smart phone. GoogleReader makes it easy to star the posts you want to bookmark, and keeps all of your searches in one central location.

For job seekers, this method can be incredibly helpful because you can save copies of the ads you respond to. All too often, when you reply to an ad and later go back to re-read it, you will find that it has been removed. Using this technique, you can keep your Craigslist searches organized and even keep up to date with your favorite bloggers.

Have you tried using Craigslist RSS feed? Let me know how it worked for you!

Are you looking for a job in the Manhattan area? Be sure to visit ManhattanJobs.