Just over fifteen years ago, when the World Wide Web started to enjoy widespread usage by millions of people around the world, it was regarded as an information resource mainly for research purposes. In other words, people used it as a sort of giant, electronic public library where they could find information (albeit in limited quantities) on almost any topic.



Over time since then, it seems that each year Internet gurus have discovered new and important uses for this medium, ranging from how to conduct research to how to write about one's life or experiences (i.e., via blogs, Twitter, etc.). Among these important information search activities is that of conducting a free postal address search online.

There can be a number of good reasons to want to conduct a postal address search online. For businesses, applications of this service might include trying to track down the address of an applicant for a background check or to look up a past vendor for which the address was lost. Meanwhile, personal uses are myriad as well and can include: searching for an ex boyfriend or ex girlfriend, finding an old high school or college buddy, researching some of your own past personal addresses in order to properly complete your resume, etc.

If you are looking to conduct a free postal address search, here are the 3 main ways to go about it:

1. Use a general-purpose search engine

Accessing a general-purpose search engine (e.g., Google, Yahoo!, MSN, etc.) to find a postal address can in fact work quite well. Surely, it is the simplest way to conduct an online postal address search of the 3 methods shared herein. All you need to do is to type in the person's name (be sure to use quotation marks so that you get an exact match) and submit your query.

Of course, there are drawbacks to using a search engine for this purpose. One such drawback is that there is no guarantee that you will find the person you are looking for, since there may be tens or hundreds (or more!) people out there with the same name. Also, the search engine may not know that you are looking for an address, so it may return various types of information that have nothing to do with the address of the person or company for which you are searching.

2. Use a free people finder website

There are a number of free people finder websites available out there. You can find them by doing a search for "people finder." These sites, like Yahoo! PeopleSearch, Zabasearch, and WhoWhere are excellent resources. The only drawback to these sites is that they, too, have trouble figuring out which "John Doe" (for example) you are looking for.

3. Use a paid site

Paid postal address search services are by far the best option if you or your company conduct searches on a regular basis. These sites allow you to filter your search down by postal address, rather than only by first or last name. Paid sites return much more accurate results - more quickly - than do search engines or free people finder sites. The drawback, of course, is that you have to pay for these sites. Some, however, offer a one-time membership fee whereby you get unlimited lifetime access. After spending an hour or two on a couple of frustrating, fruitless searches on free sites, you may become convinced that for-pay sites are actually cheaper in terms of the use of your time.