You could be searching better than you ever thought possible. These Google search tricks will help you get the most accurate and relevant results, no matter what you are trying to locate on the web.
Use the Minus Sign (-)
On Google, the minus sign negates the normal function of the search. For example, if you want to search for chicken recipes without mushrooms then you can search “Chicken recipes -mushrooms” and the results that show up will not include the word mushrooms at all. In fact, you can use the minus sign in front of any of the Google search operators and it will perform the opposite function. This allows you to create specific searches that hone in on the information that you truly want.
Explore a Particular Site with “site:”
The site operator is one of the most basic operators available, but it has proven to be quite useful. Essentially, you use “site:” when you want search results from one particular site, such as a blog or business page. In addition to using “site:” on its own, you can combine it with other operators in order to enhance the search experience and finalize the right results.
Get Results For Two Topics with “OR”
The “OR” operator is the best way to perform two searches about two different topics at the same time. It’s an efficient operator that minimizes the amount of time you need to spend searching. When you include “OR” in your search, you will get results containing both sets of keywords. They do not necessarily have to be related. The trick to using the “OR” operator is capitalizing the word. The entire word has to be capitalized, or Google will not recognize the operator.
Throw in an Asterisk (*) to Better Locate a Specific Post
The asterisk is also known as the wildcard, and is particularly helpful for those frustrating searches where you can only remember three or four words from the title of a post or page. By using the “*” in place of the word you can’t remember, Google will replace it with words in the search results. You should be able to quickly find the post you were searching for all along.
Find a Particular Type of File with “filetype:”
This operator isn’t used on a daily basis, but it is helpful to know that it’s available. If you are looking for PDF files on a particular web page, the “filetype:” operator can help you locate the files that you need.
These operators and tricks make an already powerful search engine that much more useful. Instead of wasting your time searching various keywords endlessly until you somehow end up with the results that you want, you can make more specific and relevant searches in order to get the results that you need in a matter of seconds. Plus, when you know how to search better on Google, you will know how to improve the format and content of your website in order to increase your rankings and attract more visitors to your site.
