If you’re like me, you probably
use Google many times a day. But, chances are, unless you are a technology
geek, you probably still use Google in its simplest form. If your current use
of Google is limited to typing a few words in, and changing your query until
you find what you’re looking for, then I’m here to tell you that there’s a
better way- and it’s not hard to learn. On the other hand, if you are a
technology geek, and can use Google like the best of them already, then I
suggest you bookmark this article. You’ll then have it on hand when you are
ready to pull your hair out in frustration when watching a neophyte repeatedly
type in basic queries in a desperate attempt to find something.
The following tips are based on
my own experience and things that I actually find useful. The list is by no means
comprehensive. But, I assure you that by learning and using the 12 tips below,
you’ll rank up there with the best of the Google experts out there. I’ve kept
the descriptions intentionally terse as you’re likely to grasp most of these
simply by looking at the example anyways.
12 Quick Tips
To Search Google Like An Expert
1. Explicit Phrase: Let’s say you
are looking for content about internet marketing. Instead of just typing
internet marketing into the Google search box, you will likely be better off
searching explicitly for the phrase. To do this, simply enclose the search
phrase within double quotes.
Example: “internet marketing”
2. Exclude Words: Let’s say you
want to search for content about internet marketing, but you want to exclude
any results that contain the term advertising. To do this, simply use the “-”
sign in front of the word you want to exclude.
Example: search: internet
marketing-advertising
3. Site Specific Search: Often,
you want to search a specific website for content that matches a certain
phrase. Even if the site doesn’t support a built-in search feature, you can use
Google to search the site for your term. Simply use the
“site:janlewala.blogspot.com” modifier.
Example: “internet marketing”
site:http://janlewala.blogspot.com
4. Similar Words and Synonyms:
Let’s say you are want to include a word in your search, but want to include
results that contain similar words or synonyms. To do this, use the “~” in
front of the word.
Example: “internet marketing”~professional
5. Specific Document Types: If
you’re looking to find results that are of a specific type, you can use the
modifier “filetype:”. For example, you might want to find only PowerPoint
presentations related to internet marketing.
Example: “internet marketing”
filetype:ppt
6. This OR That: by default, when
you do a search, Google will include all the terms specified in the search. If
you are looking for any one of one or more terms to match, then you can use the
OR operator. (Note: The OR has to be capitalized).
Example: internet marketing OR
advertising
7. Phone Listing: Let’s say
someone calls you on your mobile number and you don’t know how it is. If all
you have is a phone number, you can look it up on Google using the phonebook
feature.
Example: phonebook:617-555-1212
(note: the provided number does not word- you’ll have to use a real number to
et any results).
8. Area Code Lookup: If all you
need to do is to look-up the area code for a phone number, just enter the
3-digit area code and Google will tell you where it’s from.
Example: 617
9. Numeric Ranges:
This is a rarely used, but highly useful tip. Let’s say you want to find
results that contain any of a range of numbers. You can do this by using the
X..Y modifier (in case this hard to read, what’s between the X and Y are two
periods. This type of search is useful for years (as shown below), prices or
anywhere where you want to provide a series of numbers.
Example: president 1940..1950
10. Stock (Ticker Symbol): Just
enter a valid ticker symbol as your search term and Google will give you the
current financials and a quick thumb-nail chart for the stock.
Example: GOOG
11. Calculator: The next time you
need to do a quick calculation, instead of bringing up the Calculator applet,
you can just type your expression in to Google.
Example: 4851*1.02
12. Word Definitions: If you need
to quickly look up the definition of a word or phrase, simply use the “define:”
command.
Example: define:plethora
Hope this proves useful in your
future Google searches. If there are any of your favorite Google power tips
that I’ve missed, please free to share them in the comments via mail.
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