Google’s search engine is undoubtedly the most important search engine in the world. By understanding a few key techniques, you can protect your privacy and achieve better results. The following methods will help you refine your Google searches and remind you of essential dos and don'ts.
If you're one of those users who don’t get the desired results when searching on Google, the problem likely stems from not knowing how to search properly. Google is known for its speed, and there’s no doubt about the speed of its search engine. However, the human element is often overlooked when performing an online search. These tips will help you improve your internet search skills.
If you're using the Chrome browser, you'll notice a microphone icon at the end of the search bar when you open Google’s page. Simply click on the icon and grant access if necessary. Then, say the keyword(s) you’re looking for. This feature is also available on mobile devices, including iOS and Android, with similar functionalities. Just tap the microphone and say the word.
Phrases with multiple meanings can lead to unwanted results. The powerful dash operator, often overlooked, can remove any undesired results. For example, if you’re looking for results related to "Caterpillar" but don’t want to see results about the company, you can search for "Caterpillar –Inc –Cat."
Imagine you're browsing the internet and come across a beautiful piece of clothing, but you don’t know which website sells it, or a friend posts a photo of a café without its location. In both cases, Google can help. Simply save the image or copy its URL, then go to Google Image Search. Click on the camera icon in the right corner and either upload the image you saved or paste the URL. Google will show you all similar images along with their websites.
Reverse Image Search
To perform a reverse image search, go to the Image section of Google’s search and click the camera icon. Upload the image or enter the image URL (if it's online). You can get the image URL by right-clicking on the image and selecting Copy Image Address. Google will give you the best possible match for the image in the search results.
Sometimes, you're looking for a specific type of file, but there are many formats available, such as Word, PDF, video, image, audio, PowerPoint, etc. If you know exactly which format you want, Google can help you find that specific file. Simply type the file name, followed by a colon (:) and then the file format.
For example: cat breeds filetype: PDF
This will only show the type of file format you’re looking for.
Searching for Similar Websites
If you find an interesting article on a website and want to read similar content on other websites, you can search as follows:
Related:www.dog.com
Google will then suggest similar websites.
Let’s say you search for a phrase and only want to find results that contain that exact sentence. In other words, you're searching for a specific word or phrase and nothing more. To do this, place the phrase in quotation marks ("). Google will understand that you're looking for that exact phrase and will limit the search to only those results.
This method is often used for finding poems, song lyrics, proverbs, quotes, or names.
If you're looking for a book but don’t intend to buy it and don’t want any online bookstores to show up in your search, write the book title, followed by a minus sign (-), and then the word “buy.”
For example: Book Title -buy
If you want to search for a phrase but can’t remember some of the words, you can put quotation marks around the parts you remember and replace the missing words with an asterisk (*). This method is useful for finding famous quotes, lyrics, or specific text.
For example: "Life is * but a dream"
Using the Tilde (~) Symbol
If you place the tilde () symbol before a word in the search bar, Google will include synonyms of that word in the search results. For example, searching for: present
When you use two colons together (i.e., ..), it indicates a range of numbers. This is useful for searching price ranges, calculations, or dates. For example, if you want to search for a product priced between $1,000 and $2,000, you can enter the following search query:
product name $1000..$2000
