Indicate to users the scope of what a search engine will search on a Web site. Users tend to believe that the search engine will search the entire site, not a subsite. Users should have information about and control over the range of their searches. Clearly state the scope of site pages or database being searched. Enhance scanning by providing clear headings, short phrases and sentences, and short paragraphs.
Users tend to scan, stopping only when they find something interesting.
Users struggle to find alternatives to reading. A Designer's Guide, North Andover, MA User Interface Engineering.