Whether or not you’re procuring, doing analysis, or simply seeking to settle a debate with pals, Google is usually the primary place we flip to for solutions. However with billions of outcomes at our fingertips, discovering the data we’d like can typically really feel like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Happily, there are a couple of methods and ideas you need to use to make your Google search extra environment friendly and efficient. Listed here are a couple of of the perfect methods that will help you discover precisely what you’re searching for.
Search a web site for actual key phrases
Some web sites don’t have nice built-in search capabilities, which might make it onerous to seek out one thing you’re looking for on that exact web site. Google, being the subtle search engine that it’s, can do exactly this.
The search question you utilize is web site:web site.com key phrases. So, for instance, if you wish to search PCWorld for “security,” you’d enter:
Instance search question: web site:technicalrobo.com safety
The search outcomes will return pages which have “security” in them, in addition to key phrase variations resembling “secure.”
Seek for an actual phrase
You’ll be able to slim your search down by prompting Google to return outcomes that comprise actual key phrase matches. That is helpful if you happen to don’t know which web site you need to discover the content material on, however know which phrase you’re searching for. To do that, you simply must put the phrases you need the precise match for in citation marks.
For instance, if you wish to return outcomes that comprise the precise phrase “punched paper tape reader”, then you definately’d enter:
Instance search question: “punched paper tape reader”
This can solely return outcomes that comprise the very same phrases in the very same order as what you set in quotes. So it received’t return outcomes that comprise simply “punched tape” or “paper tape.”
Discover objects between a sure worth vary
This search question is ideal for individuals who are searching for a product inside a sure funds. This search lets you inform Google that you really want it to return outcomes of an merchandise that falls inside a particular worth vary by putting two durations between the numbers. This protects you time from wanting by objects which might be manner over funds by excluding them from the search—or at the least the highest outcomes.
For instance, if you wish to seek for flash drives that value between $10 and $45, you’d search:
Instance search question: flash drives $10..$45
This will likely additionally return pages which have costly flash drives on them, but additionally have flash drives within the worth vary you’re searching for.
Exclude sure phrases from a search
If you wish to seek for one thing, however that search time period is dominated by a model, you may exclude that model from the search outcomes by including a hyphen subsequent to it.
For instance, if you happen to’re wanting to take a look at laptops, however you don’t need Dell laptops within the search outcomes, you’d enter:
Instance search question: laptops -dell
Dell laptops can be excluded from the search, however this doesn’t apply to adverts within the search outcomes. So if Dell is working an advert marketing campaign for “laptops”, their adverts will nonetheless seem on the high of the search outcomes.
Seek for a sure file sort
The net is filled with content material. This will make it troublesome to seek out sure paperwork, because the outcomes will typically be totally different internet pages, photos, and so forth. However, you may slim your search down by telling Google to solely return outcomes of a particular file sort through the use of the filetype: immediate.
For instance, if you wish to discover Ford’s annual experiences in PDF format, you’d search:
Instance search question: Ford annual experiences filetype:pdf
Now, all the search outcomes are PDF information.
Carry out a number of search queries on the similar time
You could be an environment friendly Google searcher by performing a number of search queries without delay. To do that, you simply want so as to add OR between the 2 searches. This can present outcomes of each search queries, however each search queries received’t essentially seem in the identical outcome—they’ll be combined in.
For instance, if you wish to seek for each “Best 1 TB HDD” or “Best 1 TB SSD” on the similar time, you’d enter:
Instance search question: “Best 1TB HDD” OR “Best 1TB SSD”
The order you set the key phrases in doesn’t affect the outcomes. So, placing “Best 1 TB HDD” earlier than or after OR will make no distinction.
Get outcomes for a number of key phrases
This search trick is just like the OR search, however as an alternative, you’ll use AND to return outcomes that comprise each key phrases within the search—not only one or the opposite.
So, if you happen to wished to seek out pages that had outcomes for each “Best 1 TB HDD” and “Best 1 TB SSD” on the identical web page, you’d enter:
Instance search question: “Best 1TB HDD” AND “Best 1TB SSD”
Pages that comprise one of many key phrases however not the opposite are omitted from the outcomes.
Discover outcomes revealed earlier than or after a sure date
When you’ve ever looked for one thing and felt flustered as a result of the outcomes have been outdated or too new, you’re not alone. Happily, you need to use earlier than:<date> and after:<date> to filter out the outcomes.
So, if you happen to wished outcomes for ideas for effectively working from house, however you solely wished to see articles on the subject that have been posted after 2021, then you definately’d enter:
Instance search question: ideas for effectively working from house after:2021
Solely articles posted after 2021 will seem. Alternatively, if you happen to wished to seek for ideas for effectively working from house earlier than 2020, when working remotely nonetheless appeared like a fantasy of a distant future, then you definately’d search:
Instance search question: ideas for effectively working from house earlier than:2020
Solely articles posted previous to 2020 will seem within the outcomes.
Discover content material that hyperlinks to a different web site
This trick is much less identified, and might solely actually be utilized in sure conditions, like if you happen to’re interested in who cited an article on a special web site. For instance, if you happen to’re desirous to see which web sites have linked again to technicalrobo.com, you’d enter:
Instance search question: hyperlink:technicalrobo.com
That is clearly a broad instance, however you may put any url you need within the question, even particular articles.
