As we all know, Google is a highly powerful search engine. It houses an enormous collection of web pages, images, videos, and news stories that can be conveniently retrieved in mere moments. Having a thorough understanding of how to utilize Google can give you an advantage when it comes to your research and academic needs.
Here are a few suggestions to help you become a Google Wizard!
When searching for a specific phrase, enclose it in quotation marks to find an exact match. By doing so, Google will only display results that contain that particular phrase, rather than displaying pages containing the individual words in the phrase.
To locate files of a particular format, like PDF, PowerPoint, or Excel documents, use Google to search only those file types. Insert the term “filetype:[file extension]” into the search bar, and substitute [file extension] with the extension you are searching for (e.g. “filetype:docx bananas”). You will still get a couple of advertisements but the majority would be Word documents involving bananas.
To limit the scope of your search, you can use Google to filter results by website or domain. If you are confident that a particular website contains the information you need, you can input “site:[website domain]” in the search box and replace “[website domain]” with the relevant domain name, such as (example: “ninite” site:grayhaired.tech). Note that this search requires you to put the search word/phrase in quotation marks.
To filter out search results containing specific terms, use the minus sign. This method is useful when searching for information on a particular topic while excluding undesirable results. For instance, if you wish to search for information on dogs, but you do not want results that mention poodles, use the search term “dogs -poodle”. The opposite is also true. Use the plus sign in the search to only include the correct results. Searching for “dogs +poodle” Will give you only poodle results.
To improve your search on Google, try utilizing advanced search operators. These search operators offer a range of options to search for specific types of content, dates, and locations. You can access these operators by selecting “Advanced search” from the “Settings” dropdown at the bottom-right of the search page. Here, you can customize your search terms to narrow down your results.
Use keywords effectively. When you are searching for something on Google, it is important to use the right keywords. The more specific your keywords, the more relevant your search results will be. Say you are looking for information on how to make sweet iced tea, you are better off searching for “how to make sweet iced tea” than just “sweet iced tea.”
Use advanced search operators. Google offers a variety of advanced search operators that can help you narrow down your search results. For example, you can use the words “and” and “or” to return different results. You can also include an asterisk “*” in a search to represent a wild card for your search results.
Be creative with your searches. Do not be afraid to get creative with your searches. Sometimes, the best way to find what you are looking for is to think outside the box. For example, if you are looking for a recipe for a dish you have never heard of, try searching for “ingredients for dish name.”
Get tips online for using Google search at YouTube.com…also owned by Google.
Use the Google help center at support.google.com. If you are ever stuck, it is a great resource. You can find answers to common questions, as well as tips and tricks on how to use Google products and services.
I hope these tips help you become a master of Google. With a little practice, you will be able to find the information you need quickly and easily.
