20 Tips To Use Google Search Efficiently

Joe Hindy is a writer, editor, YouTuber, and college student.

Millions of people use Google search every day for a variety of reasons. Students use it for
school, business people use it for research, and millions more use it for entertainment. Did you
know that you may not be using Google search to its full potential? Here are 20 tips and tricks to
maximize your search efficiency.

1. Use the tabs

The first tip is to use the tabs in Google search. On the top of every search are a number of tabs.
Usually you’ll see Web, Image, News, and More. Using these tabs, you can help define what kind
of search you need to do. If you need images, use the Image tab. If you are looking for a recent
news article, use the News tab. It’s rudimentary and most people use the tabs already. If you are
not, then it’s highly recommended to get associated with them. They can cut search times
dramatically if utilized properly.

2. Use quotes
When searching for something specific, try using quotes to minimize the guesswork for Google
search. When you put your search parameters in quotes, it tells the search engine to search for
the whole phrase. For instance, if you search for Puppy Dog Sweaters, the engine will search for
content that contains those three words in any order. However, if you search “Puppy Dog
Sweaters”, it will search for that phrase exactly as you typed it. This can help locate specific
information that may be buried under other content if not sorted out correctly.

3. Use a hyphen to exclude words

Sometimes you may find yourself searching for a word with an ambiguous meaning. An example
is Mustang. When you Google search for Mustang, you may get results for both the car made by
Ford or the horse. If you want to cut one out, use the hyphen to tell the engine to ignore content
with one of the other. See the example below.

 Mustang -cars

This tells the search engine to search for mustangs but to remove any results that have the word
“car” in it. It can be wildly helpful when finding information about something without getting
information about something else.

4. Use a colon to search specific sites

There may be an instance where you need to Google search for articles or content on a certain
website. The syntax is very simple and we’ll show you below.

 Sidney Crosby site:nhl.com

This will search for all content about famous hockey player Sidney Crosby, but only on
NHL.com. All other search results will be removed. If you need to find specific content on a
particular site, this is the shortcut you can use.

5. Find a page that links to another page

This Google search tip is a little obscure. Instead of searching for a specific page, you’re
searching for a page that links to a specific page. Think about it this way. If you want to see who
cited a New York Times article on their site, you would use this trick to find all the sites that link
to it. The syntax is below.

 link:nytimes.com

That will return all pages that link to the New York Times official website. The URL on the right
side can be practically anything. Be aware, though, that the more specific it is, the fewer results
you’ll get. We know not a lot of people will likely use this Google search trick, but it could be
very useful for some.

6. Use the asterisk wildcard

The asterisk wildcard is one of the most useful ones on the list. Here’s how it works. When you
use an asterisk in a search term on Google search, it will leave a placeholder that may be
automatically filled by the search engine later. This is a brilliant way to find song lyrics if you
don’t know all the words. Let’s look at the syntax.

 “Come * right now * me”

To you or me, that may look like nonsense. However, Google search will search for that phrase
knowing that the asterisks can be any word. More often than not, you’ll find they are lyrics to
The Beatles song “Come Together” and that’s what the search will tell you.

7. Find sites that are similar to other sites

This is a unique one that could be used by practically everyone if they knew it existed. Let’s say
you have a favorite website. It can be anything. However, that website is getting a little bit
boring and you want to find other websites like it. You would use this trick. Below is the syntax.

 related:amazon.com
If you search that above, you won’t find a link to Amazon. Instead, you’ll find links to online
stores like Amazon. Sites like Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, and others that sell physical items
online. It’s a powerful Google search tool that can help you find new sites to browse.

8. Use Google search to do math

As a college student, I can attest that I use this one rather frequently. Google search can actually
do math for you. This is a rather complex one to describe because it can be used in so many
ways. You can ask it basic questions or some more difficult ones. It is important to note that it
won’t solve all math problems, but it will solve a good number of them. Here are a couple of
examples of the syntax.

 8*5+5
 Planck’s Consant

If you search the first one, it’ll return 45. It will also show a calculator that you can use to find
answers to more questions. This is handy if you need to do some quick math but don’t want to do
it in your head. If you search the second term, it will return the number value of Planck’s
Constant. So it can do math, but it can also help you solve math problems by showing values for
known mathematical terms.

9. Search for multiple words at once

Google search is flexible. It knows you may not find what you want by searching only a single
word or phrase. Thus, it lets you search for multiples. By using this trick, you can search for one
word or phrase along with a second word or phrase. This can help narrow down your search to
help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Here is the syntax.

 “Best ways to prepare for a job interview” OR “How to prepare for a job interview”

By searching that, you will search both phrases. Remember the quotes tip above? It’s being used
here as well. In this instance, these two exact phrases will be searched. It can be done by word
too, like the example below.

 chocolate OR white chocolate

This will search for pages that have either chocolate or white chocolate!

10. Search a range of numbers

Searching for a range of numbers is another tip we don’t anticipate a lot of people using. The
people that do use it, though, will probably use it quite a bit. People interested in money or
statistics will find this tip particularly useful. Essentially, you use two dots and a number to let
Google search know you’re looking for a specific range of numbers. Like the syntax below.
  What teams have won the Stanley Cup ..2004
 41..43

In the first instance, the search will toss back the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2004. The
two dots with only one number will tell the search that you don’t need anything before or after
2004. This can help narrow down searches to a specific number to improve search results. In the
second, Google will search for the numbers 41, 42, and 43. It is obscure, but wildly useful if you
happen to need to search for numbers like this.

11. Keep it simple

Now we’re getting into the general tips. Google search knows how to search for a lot of things.
What this means is you don’t need to be too specific. If you need a pizza place nearby, use this to
search.

 Pizza places nearby

Google search will grab your location and deliver a variety of results about pizza places that are
near you.

12. Gradually add search terms

There will come a time when Google search doesn’t shovel out the results you expect. In this
instance, keeping it simple may not be the best option. As Google itself suggests, the best
method is to start with something simple then gradually get more complicated. See the example
below.

 First try: job interviews

 Second try: prepare for job interviews
 Third try: how to prepare for a job interview

This will gradually refine the search to bring you fewer, more targeted terms. The reason you
don’t go straight from the first try to the third try is because you may miss what you’re looking
for by skipping the second step. Millions of websites phrase the same information in a number of
different ways; using this technique lets you search as many of them as possible to find the best
info.

13. Use words that websites would use

This is a very important one. When people use Google search to hunt the web, they generally
search for things using the same language that they would use for speaking. Unfortunately,
websites don’t say things the way people do; instead, they try to use language that sounds
professional. Let’s look at some examples.

 “I have a flat tire” could be replaced by “repair a flat tire.”

  “My head hurts” could be replaced by “headache relief.”

The list goes on and on. When searching, try to use terminology you would find on a
professional website. This will help you get more reliable results.

14. Use important words only

The way Google search works is to take what you search for and match it with keywords in
online content. When you search for too many words, it may limit your results. That means it
may actually take you longer to find what you’re looking for. Thus, it is apropos to use only the
important words when searching for something. Let’s see an example.

 Don’t use: Where can I find a Chinese restaurant that delivers.

 Instead try: Chinese restaurants nearby.
 Or: Chinese restaurants near me.

Doing this can help Google find what you need without all the clutter. So remember, keep it
simple and use important words only.

15. Google search has shortcuts

A number of commands can be entered to give you instantaneous results. Like the math example
above, Google can immediately give you the information you need that is displayed right at the
top of the search results. This can save time and effort so you don’t have to click a bunch of
bothersome links. Here are a few examples of some commands you can enter into Google.

 Weather *zip code* – This will show you the weather in the given zip code. You can also
use town and city names instead of area codes, but it may not be as accurate if there are
multiple area codes in the city.
 What is *celebrity name* Bacon Number – This is a fun little one that will tell you how
many connections any given celebrity has to famed actor Kevin Bacon. The popular joke,
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, is that no actor is more than 6 connections away from
Kevin Bacon. Mark Zuckerberg has a Bacon Number of 3.
 The math example posted above is another one.
 What is the definition of *word* or Define: *word* – This will display the definition of a
word.
 Time *place* – This will display the time in whatever place you type in.
 You can check any stock by typing its ticker name into Google. If you search for
GOOG, it will check the stock prices for Google.

These quick commands can take a web search that is usually multiple clicks and condense it into
a single search. This is very helpful for information you need repeatedly.

16. Spelling doesn’t necessarily matter

Google search has gotten a lot smarter over the years. These days, you don’t even need to spell
words correctly. As long as it’s pretty close, Google can usually figure out what it means. Here
are some examples.

 If you search “Nver Gna Gve Yo Up” Google will automatically assume you mean to
search for “Never Gonna Give You Up.” If by chance your misspelling was intentional,
Google gives you the option to search for the misspelled term instead.

This trick is great if you happen to forget how to spell something or are not altogether sure how
something is spelled. It can also be helpful when searching for obscure words. This applies to
capitalization and grammar as well.

17. Use descriptive words

Pretty much everything can be described in multiple ways. Take our namesake, the “life hack.”
The terminology “hack” refers to a computer programmer breaking security on a network or
system. However, when used in conjunction with the word “life”, it alters the meaning to tips
and tricks people can use to improve their lives. If you have trouble finding what you’re
searching for, keep in mind that people may search or define what you need in a different way
than you do.

 You may search “How to install drivers in Ubunut?”

 When you really mean “Troubleshoot driver problems Ubuntu.”

There really isn’t a good specific example for this one. If you search for something and you can’t
find an answer, try asking the same question using different words and see if that helps the
results.

18. Find a specific file

An often forgotten feature of Google search is the ability to search for a specific file or file type.
This can be infinitely useful if you need a specific PDF or PowerPoint file that you previously
viewed or need to use for another project. The syntax is quite simple.

 *Search term here* filetype:pdf

In the above example, you simply replace the search term with whatever you’re searching for.
Then use the filetype command and enter the extension of any file type you can think of. This
can mostly be useful for scholarly purposes, but business presentations and other assorted
presentations can benefit from this kind of search as well.

19. Money and unit conversions

Google search can quickly and accurately convert both measurement units and currency value.
There are a variety of uses for this, like checking to see the conversion rate between two
currencies. If you happen to be a math student, you can use it to convert from feet to meters or
from ounces to liters. Here’s how to do it.

 miles to km – This will convert miles to kilometers. You can put numbers in front to
convert a certain number. Like “10 miles to km” will show you how many kilometers are
in 10 miles.
 USD to British Pound Sterling – This will convert a US dollar to British pounds. Like the
measurements above, you can add numbers to find exact conversions for a certain amount
of money.

It’s true that this tip is geared toward math students and international business people. However,
you’d be surprised how often these tips are used by regular people.

20. Track your packages

Our last trick is to use Google search to find out where your packages are. You can enter any
UPS, USPS, or Fedex tracking number directly into the Google search bar, and it’ll show you the
tracking information about your package. This is much easier than going to the specific sites,
waiting for them to load, then searching for your packages there. No examples are really needed
for this one. Just type your tracking number in and see where your package is.

Google Search wrap-up

Google search is a very powerful search tool. Using the tips outlined above, you can find
anything and everything you could ever need on the World Wide Web. Whether it’s avoiding
Wikipedia for a school essay project, finding the latest stock prices, or even finding song lyrics,
there is a way to make Google search work for you.

Now, practice to use 20 tips to use google search Efficiently

Joe Hindy is a writer, editor, YouTuber, and college student.
Millions of people use Google search every day for a variety or reasons. Students use it for
school, business people use it for research, and millions mor use it for entertainment. Did you
know that you may not be using Google search to its full potential? Here are 20 tips and tricks to
maximize your search efficiency.
1.Use the tabs.
The first tip is to use the tabs in Google search. On the top of every search are a number of tabs.
Usually you’ll see Web, Image, News, and More. Using these tabs, you can help define what
kind of search you need to do. If you need images, use the Image tab. If you are looking for a
recently news article, use the News tab. It’rudimentary and most people use the tabs already. If
you are not, then it’s highly recommended to get associated with them. They can cut search times
dramatically if utilized properly.
2.Use quotes.
When searching for something specific, try using quotes to minimize the gueswork for Google
search. When you put your search parameters in quotes, it tells the search engine to search for
the whole phrase. For instance, if you search for Puppy Dog Sweaters, the engine will search for
content that contains those three words in any order. However if you search “Puppy Dog
Sweaters”, it will search for that phrase exactly as you typed it. This can help locate specific
information that may be buried under other content if not sorted out correctly.
3.Use a hyphen to exclude words.
Sometime you may find yourself searching for a word with an ambiguos meaning. An example is
Mustang. When you Google search for Mustang, you may get results for both the car made by
Ford or the horse. If you want to cut one out, use the hyphen to tell the engine to ignore content
with one of the other. See the example below.
Mustang – cars
This tells the search engine to search for mustangs but to remove any results that have the word
‘car’ in it. It can be wildly helpful when finding information about something without getting
information about something else.
4.Use a colon to search specific sites.
There my be an instance where you need to Google search for articles or content on a certain
website. The syntax is very simple and we’ll show you below.
Sidney Crosby site: nhl.com
This will search for all content about famous hockey player Sidney Crosby, but only on
NHL.com. All other search results will be removed. If you need to find specific content on a
particular site, this is the shortcut you can use.
5.Find a page that links to another page.
This Google search tip is a little obscure. Instead of searching for a specific page, you’re
searching for a page that links to a specific page. Think about it this way. If you want to see who
cited a New York Times article on their site, you would use this trick to find all the sites that link
to it. The syntax is below.
Link:nytimes.com.
That will return all pages that link to the New York Times official website. The URL on the right
side can be practically anything. Beware, though, that the more specific it is, the fewer results
you’ll get. We know not a lot of people will likely use this Google search trick, but it could be
very useful for some.
6.Use the asterisk wildcard
The asterisk wildcard is one of the most useful ones on the list. Here’s how it works. When you
use an asterisk in a search term on Google search, it will leave a placeholder that may be
automatically filled by the search engine later. This is a briliant way to find song lyrics if you
don’t know all the words. Let’s look at the syntax.
“come *right now*me”
To you or me, that may look like nonsense. However, Google search will search for that phrase
knowing that the asterisks can be any word. More often than not, you’ll find they are lyrics to
The Beatles song “Come Together” and that’s what search will tell you.
7.Find sites that are similar to other sites.
This is a unique one that could be used by practically everyone if they knew it existed. Let’s say
you have a favorite website. It can be anything. However, that website is getting a little bit
boring and you want to find other websites like it. You would use this trick. Below is the syntax;
Related: amazon.com
If you search that above, you won’t find a link to Amazon. Instead, you’ll find links to online
stores like Amazon. Sites like Barnes& Noble, Best Buy, and others that sell physical items
online. It’s a powerful Google search tool that can help you find new sites to browse.
8.Use Google search to do math.
As a college student, I can attest that I use this one rather frequently. Google search can actually
do math for you. This is a rather complex one to describle because it can be used in so many
ways. You can ask it basic questions or some more difficult ones. It is important to note that it
won’t solve all math problems, but it will solve a good number of them. Here are a couple of
examples of the syntax.
8*5+5
Planck’s Consant.
If you search the first one, it’ll return 45. It will also show a calculator that you can use to find
answers to more questions. This is handy if you need to do more quick math but don’t want to do
it in your head. If you search the second term, it will return the number value of Planck’s
Constant. So it can do math, but it can also help you solve math problems by showing values for
known mathematical terms.
9.Search for multiple words at once.
Google search is flexible. It knows you may not find what you want by searching only a single
word or phrase. Thus, it lets you search for multiples. By using this trick, you can search to help
you ifnd exactly what you’re looking for. Here is the syntax.
“Best ways to prepare for a job interview” OR “How to prepare for a job interview”
By searching that, you will search both phrases. Remember the quotes tip above? It’s being used
here as well. In this instance, there two exact phrases will be searched. It can be done by word
too, like the example below.
Chocolate Or white chocolate
This will search for pages that have either chocolate or white chocolate!
10.Search a range of numbers.
Searching for a range of numbers is another tip we don’t anticipate a lot of people using. The
people that do use it, through, will probably use it quite a bit. People interested in money or
statistics will find this tip particularly useful. Essentially, you use two dots and a number to let
Google search know you’re looking for a specific range of numbers. Like the syntax below.
What teams have won the Stanley Cup… 2004
41..43
In the first instance, the search will toss back the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2004. The
two dots with only one number will tell the search that you don’t need anything before or after
2004. This can help narrow down searchs to a specific number to improve search results. In the
second, Google will search for the numbers 41, 42, and 43. It is obscure, but wildly useful if you
happen to need to search for numbers like this.
11.Keep it simple
Now we’re getting into the general tips. Google search knows how to search for a lot of things.
What this means is you don’t need to be too specific. If you need a pizza place nearby, use this to
search.
Pizza places nearby
Google search will grab your location and diliver a variety of results about pizza places that are
near you.
12. Gradually add search terms.
There will come a time when Google search doesn’t showel out the results you expect. In this
instance, keeping it simple may not be the best option. As Google itself suggest, the best method
is to start with something simple then gradually get more complicated. See the example below.
First try: job interviews
Second try: prepare for job interviews.
Third try: how to prepare for a job interview.
This will gradually refine the search to bring you fewer, more targeted terms. The reason you
don’t go staright from the first try to the third try is because you may miss what you’re looking
for by skipping the second step. Millions of websites phrase the same information in a number of
for by skipping the second step. Millions of websites phrase the same information in a number of
different ways; using this technique lets you search as many of them as possible to find the best
info.
13. Use words that websites would use.
This is a very important one. When people use Google search to hunt the web, they generally
search for things using the same language that they would use for speaking. Unfortuanately,
websites don’t say things the way people do; instead, they try to use launguage that sounds
professional. Let’s look at some examples.
“I have a flat tire” could be replaced by “repair a flat tire”
“My headhurts” could be replaced by “ headache relief.”
The list goes on and on. When searching, try to use terminology you would find on a
professional website. This will help you get more reliable results.
14. Use important words only.
The way Google search works is to take what you search for and match it with keywords in
online content. When you search for too many words, it may limit your results. That means it
may actually take you longer to find what you’re looking for. Thus, it is apropos to use only the
important words when searching for something. Let’s see an example.
Don’t use: Where can I find a Chinese restaurant that delivers.
Instead try: Chinese restaurants nearby.
Or: Chinese restaurants near me.
Doing this can help Google find what you need without all the clutter. So remember, keep it
simple and use important words only.
15. Google search has shortcuts
A number of commands can be entered to give you instantaneous results. Like the math example
above. Google can immediately give you the information you need that is displayed right at the
top of the search results. This can save time and effort so you don’t have to click a bunch of
bother some links. Here are a few examples of some commands you can enter into Google.
Weather *zip code* - This will show you the weather in the given zip code. You can also use
town and city names instead of area codes, but it may not be as accurate if there are multiple area
codes in the city.
What is *celebrity name* Bacon Number- This is a fun little one that will tell you how many
connections any given celbrity has to famed actor Kevin Bacon. The popular joke, Six Degress
of Kevin Bacon, is that no actor is more than 6 connections away from Kevin Bacon. Mark
Zuckerberg has a Bacon Number of 3.
The math example posted above is another one.
What is the definition of *word* or Define: *word* - this will display the definition of a word.
Time *place* - This will display the time in whatever place you type in.
You can check any stock by typing its ticker name into Google. If you search for GOOG, it will
check the stock prices for Google.
These quick commands can take a web search that is usually multiple clicks and condense it into
a single search. This is very helpful for information you need repeatedly.
16. Spelling doesn’t necessarily matter.
Google search has gotten a lot smarter over the years. These days, you don’t even need to spell
words correctly. As long as it’s pretty close, Google can usually figure out what it means. Here
are some examples.
If you search “Never Gna Gve Yo Up” Google will automatically assume you mean to search for
“ Never gonna Give You Up” If by chance you misspelling was intentional, Google gives you
the option to search for the misspelled term instead.
This trick is great if you happen to forget how to spell something or are not altogether sure how
something is spelled. It can also be helpful when searching for obscure words. This applies to
capitalization and grammar as well.
17. Use descriptive words.
Pretty much everything can be described in multiple ways. Take our namesake, the “life hack.”
The terminology” hack” refers to a computer promgrammer breaking security on a network or
system. However, when used in conjunction with the word “life”, it alters the meaning to tips
and tricks people can use to improve their lives. If you have trouble finding what you’re
searching for, keep in mind that people may search or define what you need in a different way
than you do.
You may search “ How to install drivers in Ubunut?”
When you really mean “Troubleshoot driver problems Ubuntu.”
There really isn’t a good specific example for this one. If you search for something and you can’t
find an answer, try asking the same question using different words and see if that helps the
results.
18. Find a specific file
An often forgotten feature of Google search is the ability to search for a specific file or file type.
This can be infinitely useful if you need a specific PDF or PowerPoint file that you previously
viewed or need to use for another project. The syntax is quite simple.
*Search term here* filetype:pdf
In the above example, you simply replace the search term with whatever you’re searching for.
Then use the filetype command and enter the extension of any file type you can think of. This
presentations can benefit from this kind of search as well.
19. Money and unit conversions.
Google search can quickly and accurately convert both measurement units and currency value.
There are a variety of uses for this, like checking to see the conversion rate between two
currencies. If you happen to be a math student, you can use it to convert from feet to meters or
from ounces to liters. Here’s how to do it.
Miles to km- This will convert miles to kilometers. You can put numbers in front to convert a
certain number. Like “10 miles to km” will show you how many kilometers are in 10 miles.
USD to British Pound Sterling- This will convert a Us dollar to British pounds. Like the
measurements above, you can add numbers to find exact conversions for a certain amount on
money.
It’s true that this tip is geared toward math students and international business people. However,
you’d be surprised how often these tips are used by regular people.
20. Track your packages.
Our last trick is to use Google search to find out where your packages are. You can enter any
UPS, USPS, or Fedex tracking number directly into the Google search bar, and it’ll show you the
tacking information about your package. This is much easier than going to the specific sites,
waiting for them to load, then searching for your packages there. No examples are really needed
for this one. Just type your tracking number in and see where your package is.
Google Search wrap-up
Google search is a very powerful search tool. Using the tips outlined above, you can find
anything and everything you could ever need on the World Wide Web. Whether it’s avoiding
Wikipeadia for a school essay project, finding the latest stock prices, or even finding song lyrics,
there is a way to make Google search work for you.