When you go to the BLM GLO Records site the first thing you need to look for is the "Search Land Patents" link at the top of the page. Luckily, they designed the site so that the necessary links are always at the top of the pages [bless you folks!].
When clicking the link brings you to the search page, it's just a matter of picking the state where your ancestor lived, filling in their last name [and if you need to narrow the search, putting in their first name] and pushing the search button.
The reason you may only want to use a last name is because it allows you to read the list of land records under that name in case siblings or spouses may have homesteaded [yes, women did this too!].
Here we can see that I've entered L.J.'s last name only and Oklahoma for the state. That's because I knew that he and his family left Mississippi and settled in Kiowa County, OK. It was just a matter of finding out when.
The next image shows the Land Patent Details that resulted from the search. This gives the date and information about the land title. But look at the tabs at the top.
There's one for legal land description and one for Document Image. Legal land description will tell you exactly what section your ancestor got in their land grant or purchase. Document Image is a copy of the paperwork our ancestors received when they paid for the land [or met the requirements for homesteading].
There are also survey records and plat maps to be had. This may take a little more work to understand, but it is well worth it!
Go ahead, try it! I'll bet you'll be printing all kinds of paperwork if your family migrated west.
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