32 Tips On How To Use Google Search Effectively:

Although a majority of us use Google on a daily basis, there’s still a lot we don’t know about
the search engine. If you’ve ever struggled to get the result you want or just want to
improve your ‘Googling’ skills, below are a few tips and tricks on how to use Google search
effectively:

01 – Use The Tabs

Make sure to take advantage of Google tabs effectively. On every search result page, a few
tabs appear at the top. Typically, these are web, images, news, and more. These tabs help
you refine your search results to the type of search you need. Use the Image tab if you’re
looking for images, or use the News tab to look for recent or fresh articles regarding a
particular topic. It’s pretty simple, and most people are already using tabs to refine their
search results. If you use tabs efficiently, you can dramatically cut the search time by
filtering your results and finding precisely what you’re looking for.

02 – Set Time Constraints

Google allows you to set time constraints in your results if you’re looking for information
from a specific time frame. This can include articles about history or finding information
about a certain case in the news. You can use Google’s search tools on desktop and mobile
to filter your search results accordingly.

If you’re on a desktop, simply click on tools under the magnifying glass icon. Here you’ll find
a drop-down with ‘any time’ selected. Click on the drop-down to display a list of options to
help you narrow results to the past hour, day, week, month, or year. You can also select a
custom range to enter a specific time frame. For mobile users, you’ll find this option by
scrolling to the end of the search types and selecting search tools.

03 – Perform Advanced Search

Still finding your search results to be vague? Well, you can always use the ‘Advanced Search’
feature. From your search results page, click on the ‘gear’ icon at the top right corner of the
screen, and select “Advanced Search”.

This allows you to enter specific keywords or phrases in specific fields instead of using
modifiers. You can narrow your search results by region, language, term location, usage
rights, file type, explicit content, last update, domain, etc. If you’re looking for a particular
image, you can narrow your search by image size, colour, aspect ratio, and image type.

On a mobile device, you can’t use the “Advanced Search” feature; however, you can narrow
your image search through filters. Using the slider icon at the top of your image search, you
can filter by most recent GIF, HD photos, product images, colour, and usage permissions.
04 – Use Quotes
When you’re searching for a specific term, you can use quotes around your search query.
You can drastically reduce the amount of time and guesswork by using quotes. Basically,
using quotes will give you results that contain the entire phrase within the quotes. For
example, let’s assume you want to search for “Persian Cat Food”. If you merely search for
Persian Cat Food, Google will show results with those three terms in any order. On the other
hand, if you type “Persian Cat Food” into the Google search box, you’ll get results for that
phrase exactly how you typed it. This technique can be extremely helpful in finding precise
information in a timely fashion.

05 – Use A Hyphen To Exclude Words

Do you often come across words that spell the same but have different meanings? For
example, ‘Apple’ is a fruit. However, Apple is also a brand. If you Google Apple, you might
get results for both the fruit and the brand. In this case, you can use a Hyphen to instruct
the search engine to exclude content with one of the others. For example, if you
search Apple -fruit in the search bar, Google will show results for Apple, but it will disregard
any results related to the term ‘fruit’. This technique is helpful in attaining information
about something without acquiring information about something else.
06 – Use A Colon To Search Specific Sites
There might be times when you want to search for a particular topic on a specific website or
a URL. Google allows you to narrow down your search to a particular website or URL if you
type your search query in a specific format. The syntax, in this case, is quite
simple: blockchain site:iiinigence.com
This will show you results about blockchain, however, on iiinigence.com only. All the
irrelevant results will be filtered out. So, if you want to search for a particular keyword on a
specific site, this is the shortcut you can use.
07 – Find A Page That Links To Another Page
This Google search technique is a little tricky to understand, but is very useful for those who
need it. Rather than finding a single page, you can search for ones that link to a specific one.
Consider it this way: if you want to find blogs that cited a particular HackerNoon article, you
can use this trick. The syntax will be: link: hackernoon.com
This will give you all the pages that link to the official website of HackerNoon. You can type
in any URL you want. The more specific you are with your search query, the better and
fewer results you will get. For instance, if you search link: https://hackernoon.com/wtf-is-
the-blockchain -1da89ba19348, Google will display all the pages that link to the famous
Blockchain article on HackerNoon.
See, if you go with a more specific URL, you will get fewer but finer results. Although this
technique is only useful to a small number of individuals, it can be very helpful for those
looking for academic citations or for SEO experts in link-building campaigns. In fact, some
SEO experts use this technique to find broken links on other websites as well.

08 – Use The Asterisk Wildcard

Have you ever tried searching for a song with half-baked lyrics? If yes, then this technique is
definitely for you. Including an asterisk in your Google search query creates a placeholder
that gives an indication to the search engine that this phrase can be anything. For example,
let’s take a close look at this syntax: I tried *so far* matter
This may appear strange or may not make any sense to a regular person. However, Google
will look for that phrase knowing the terms inside the asterisks can be anything. If you
search this query, Google will give you the search results for Linkin Park’s famous song “In
The End”. You can use this technique when you’re looking for a certain saying or a song, and
you don’t have full information regarding it.

09 – Find Sites That Are Similar To Other Sites

Imagine you have a favourite go-to website for buying clothes; however, it’s getting a little
boring, and you want to bring a little change to your wardrobe. This is the trick that you can
use to discover similar websites. The syntax will be: related:amazon.com
You won’t find links to Amazon products through this search. Instead, you’ll be directed to
similar online retailer websites, such as Best Buy, Etsy, Barnes & Nobles, etc. In the business
world, you can use this technique to find competitors within your industry, check what they
are up to, and take inspiration. SEO experts use this technique for link-building campaigns as
well as for competitor analysis and keyword research purposes. >

10 – Perform A Reverse Image Search

On most browsers, Google supports “reverse” image searches. This feature allows you to
submit an image file and search for information about it. For instance, if you upload a photo
of the Mount Cook, Google will recognise it and provide you with information about the
mountain in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. It can also identify works of art, lead you to
websites where the image exists, and show you images that are “visually similar.” To use
this feature, simply drag and drop an image into the search bar on Google Images. You can
also upload an image or input an image’s URL by clicking the camera icon.

11 – Location & Direction Search

With the map: operator, only websites that show a map of the location you’re looking for
are included in the results, which can be helpful for research purposes. In a similar vein, you
can use the location: operator to define a specific location for your search results. Most
importantly, it can also give you directions to your desired locations from your current
location. When it comes to destinations, the “to” operator can be used to organise trips for
any mode of transportation. It gives you route options for going from one location to
another.
Most importantly, if you are planning on travelling to another city, you can simply type the
city name and add the word “directions” next to it to get a route from your current location
to the destination city. For example, if you are in Auckland and want to travel to Hamilton,
simply search for “Hamilton Directions”, and Google will display all the best possible routes
for you. You can use the same feature to get directions for any particular place within a city
as well.
12 – Voice Search
Google is slowly becoming a pioneer in accessible and usable design. With the introduction
of voice search, it eliminates barriers to using technology for a majority of differently-abled
individuals. As a more convenient means of inputting search queries, Google Search now
supports voice search, which isn’t limited to mobile devices. You can click on the mic symbol
on the right side of the search bar to use this feature. Although it’s a work in progress, it
allows users to simply input their thoughts using voice to get the results they want.

13 – Use Google Search To Do Math

If you didn’t know, Google can actually perform calculations for you. It’s a very versatile
feature, and it can be used in diverse ways. Therefore, it’s a little bit complex to explain it.
You will get a better idea of this feature once you use it yourself. In simple words, Google
can help you answer basic match questions (such as addition or subtraction) or more
challenging ones (such as algebra). Let’s take a look at an example of how to use the
feature. Simply type in any math question in the Google search bar, like: 10 * 5 + 5
If you search this on Google, you’ll get 55 as a result. You can try something a little more
complex as well. Aside from giving you the solution to your question, Google will also display
a calculator that you can use to perform other math operations as well.

14 – Search For Multiple Words At Once

Google understands that sometimes merely a single word is not enough to yield the desired
results. For this purpose, it allows you to search for multiple words or phrases at the same
time. To do this, all you have to do is search for both queries (within quotes) at the same
time using the “Or” operator between them. Let’s take a look at an example to help you
understand its syntax:
“Best SEO Agency In New Zealand” OR “Best Marketing Company In New Zealand”
By doing this, you are able to find results for both phrases. You can also use this approach
while searching for multiple words, like: “Apple” or “Mango”
15 – Search A Range Of Numbers
Another secret technique Google offers is looking for a range of numbers. Perhaps you want
to book a hotel within a particular price range or find out how many soccer games were
played between the years 2010 to 2020. To do this, simply use two dots before a number to
tell Google that you’re seeking a particular range. For example, let’s consider the following
syntax: Who has won the La Liga in 2000..2020?
By typing this in the search bar, Google will focus on the La Liga winners from 2000 to 2020.
The two dots between two numbers indicate you are not looking for anything before 2000
or after 2020. Similarly, if you type “Smartphone $300..500″ in the Google search bar, you
will get results of smartphones within the $300 to $500 price range.
16 – Keep It Simple
Now let’s take a look at a few general tips and tricks for searching online. For starters, you
should try to keep things as simple as possible when searching on Google. This means you
don’t necessarily need to be descriptive with your search queries. For example, if you’re
looking for a car wash station near your apartment, simply type ‘Car Wash Nearby’ in the
search box. Google will detect your location and list down the car wash stations in your
immediate vicinity.
 You don’t need to be too specific and search for queries like: “Which is the best Car Wash
Station in Auckland?” Just keep things simple, and save your time while getting precise
results.
17 – Gradually Add Search Terms
Google is pretty good, but it ain’t magic. It does not always give you the results you’re
looking for. In this case, keeping it simple is not the best strategy. With Google, the best way
is to begin with something simple and build your way upwards to complexity. Let’s consider
an example;

 First try: Chocolate Cake

 Second try: Chocolate Cake Recipes
 Third try: No-bake Chocolate Cake Recipes
This will help you narrow down your search results over time, bringing you fewer and more
relevant terms. It isn’t typically recommended to jump from the first try to the third, as you
might miss out on what you’re looking for.

18 – Use Words That Websites Would Use

In our everyday lives, we often use vocabulary which isn’t exactly used in the digital space
by businesses or websites. As websites are owned by businesses, they try to maintain a
professional outlook. Consider the following example;

 “I’ve got a broken window” could be replaced with “fix a broken window”
 “Knee pain relief” could be used instead of “my knee hurts”
The list can go on forever. All in all, try to use vocabulary, which is commonly used in
websites and digital spaces, to get better and more efficient results.

19 – Use Important Words Only

Google matches your search queries with the content available on the web. If you’re
searching for a lot of words, your results might be limited. Consequently, you’ll need to
spend more time searching for what you’re looking for. So, when you’re searching for
something, it is best to use important keywords. For example:

 “Don’t say: I’m looking for a pizza place that delivers.

 Instead, try: Pizza Places nearby
 Likewise, search for: Pizza Places near me
This will help Google find the most relevant search results related to your query. So, make
sure you keep it concise and use only the most important keywords.
 20 – Google Search Has Shortcuts
You can enter a number of commands to get immediate results. Google, like the math
example above, can provide you with the information you need right at the top of the
search results. This can save you time and effort by eliminating the need to click a bunch of
unnecessary links.

Here are a few examples of commands that you can use in Google:

 Weather [zip code] – This will display the current weather conditions in the specified zip
code. You can also use town and city names instead of area codes, although if the city has
numerous area codes, this might not be quite as precise.
 What is the Bacon Number of [celebrity name] – This is a fun little trick that tells you how
many connections every particular celebrity has to renowned actor Kevin Bacon. According
to the popular joke “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” no actor has more than six links to Kevin
Bacon. The Bacon Number of Mark Zuckerberg is three.
 What is the definition of [word]? Or Define: [word] – This will display the word’s definition
or meaning along with its practical usage.
 Search Stock With Ticker Name – You can look up any stock by going to Google and
entering its ticker name. If you search for GOOG, it will show Google’s stock values.
21 – Spelling Doesn’t Necessarily Matter
Over time, Google search has become a lot smarter. It is able to detect words, even if you
don’t spell them correctly. For example, if you type ‘Never Gonna Gove You Up’, Google will
presume you mean ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’.

If you’re looking for a misspelt term on purpose, Google gives you the option to search for
the misspelt word instead. For someone who’s not fluent in writing or not good with
spelling, this is a very useful technique to find what you’re looking for. This is true in the
case of grammar and capitalisation as well.

22 – Use Descriptive Words

The English language uses multiple variations of words to create different meanings. For
example, the word ‘Life hack’ is made of two words; Hack and Life. Now, the word “Hack”
means a computer programmer bypassing a system or a network (typically, with malafide or
bad intention). Meanwhile, the word “life” takes a different connotation, and it’s pretty self-
explanatory. When these two are combined together, it means tips and tricks that people
use to improve their lives. As you can see, combining words can change the whole context
and meaning.
 The same case applies to the Google search as well. So, if you’re having trouble finding what
you’re looking for, try using different descriptive words. For instance, you can look up “How
to install drivers in Windows 10” on the internet when you really meant to
search “Troubleshoot Windows 10 driver issues.” This is a particular individual case and
varies from person to person. In short, if you’re not able to find the answer to a question,
simply paraphrase the statement with different words to improve the results.
23 – Find A Specific File
If you didn’t know, Google search has an amazing feature that lets you search for a specific
file or file type. It’s quite an overlooked feature, but it can be quite handy if you want to
search for a particular file, like PDF, PowerPoint, etc. Plus, it’s pretty easy to use this feature
that can drastically reduce your search time. Here is the syntax:

filetype:pdf *Enter a search keyword here* Simply replace the “Enter a search keyword
here” with whatever you’re looking for in the example above, and replace the “pdf” with
any file type extension you can think of, i.e. pptx, docx, etc. This is primarily valuable for
scholarly purposes, but it can also be useful for corporate presentations and other types of
presentations.
24 – Money & Unit Conversions
Google allows you to convert your everyday measuring units and currency values quickly
and accurately. This is particularly useful for determining the exchange rate between
multiple currencies and converting measurements from one measuring unit to another,
such as from ounces to litres.

 Miles to Kilometers – Simply type ‘5 Miles to KM’ into the search box and hit enter. Google
will display a conversion calculator with the converted value. Here you can convert units
into different units as well.
 USD to GBP – Type ‘$5 to British Pounds’, and Google will convert currencies for you
accurately and easily. Plus, if you want to change any of the currency, you can do it from the
search results card that Google displays. In fact, you can convert popular cryptocurrencies
into standard currencies as well.
25 – Weather, Time, & Sunrise/Sunset Search In Any Region
Imagine sitting in Auckland and wanting to know the weather conditions or time in another
region of the world. Google can help you clarify your curiosity. You can check out weather
conditions, current time, sunset and sunrise in any region around the world. You can do this
by:

 Time [place] – This will show the current time in the location you type in. .
 Weather [place] – Google will display an interactive card showing information regarding the
current weather conditions and the coming forecast for the next week for that particular
location. .
 Sunrise/Sunset [place] – This will show the current sunrise and sunset time for that
location. .
26 – Check Flight Times & Status
If you’re going to the airport or picking up a loved one, type in their flight number, and
Google will send you a card with the most up-to-date times and terminal/gate information.
If you’re looking to book a flight, Google Flights can help you find the best deals as well.

For example, at the time of writing this article, Air New Zealand NZ 5005 departed Auckland
at 09:55 am from Gate 43 Terminal D, and it was scheduled to land in Napier at 11:00am. If
you just type the flight number (NZ 5005) in the search bar, Google will display all the
information regarding this flight, including whether it’s on time or there’s a delay.
27 – Live Match Updates & Tournament Tables
Did you know you can check the score of any live sports match as well as the details of any
tournament using Google? Well, Google gives you all the essential details of a sports match
as well as tournaments that you would find on professional sports websites with simple
queries. This feature is quite similar to the flight search feature.

For example, if there is a football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, you check
the details of the match by searching for “FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid” or “FC Barcelona
Live” or “FCB vs RM live” or anything that is suitable for searching this fixture. Similarly, if
you search “LaLiga Table” in the search bar, Google will display the full league table of the
Spanish Football League.
28 – Track Your Packages
We all experience the frustration of not knowing when our online shopping package is going
to arrive. Well, Google can help you with this problem. You can easily insert any UPS, USPS,
or FedEx tracking number into the Google search field, and it will show you the package’s
tracking details. This is far more convenient than visiting various websites, waiting for them
to load, and then looking for your packages there. This one doesn’t really require any
examples. Simply enter your tracking number to check where your package is currently
located.

29 – Play Games
Google offers multiple built-in games and tools that you can easily access by googling them,
including Minesweeper, Snake, Tic-Tac-Toe, Pac-man, etc. For example, search ‘flip a coin’,
and Google will display it for you. It also includes built-in tools like bubble level (on mobile),
colour picker, metronome, and breathing exercise.
30 – Start Timer/Stopwatch
To get a five-minute timer, type ‘timer’ into the search box (or stopwatch to time
something). To alter the length of time, click and type in the time you want. Initiate the
countdown by pressing the Start button. The countdown will continue even if you switch to
a new tab; if you accidentally close the tab with the timer, you’ll get a warning. Your
browser tab will indicate the remaining time; after it’s up, an alarm will ring, and the tab will
display an hourglass icon until you click OK to mute it.

31 – Translate Language
Google Translate is one of the most effective and practical features of Google. It can help
you translate text, documents and websites into any language. For instance, if you visit a
website that’s in German and you don’t know German, Google will automatically detect its
language, and it will allow you to change it into another language you know, like English.
This way, you would be able to understand the contents without the language barrier.

Most importantly, Google allows you to translate any sentence or paragraph from any
language to your desired language with decent accuracy. For instance, imagine you are
chatting with a potential Chinese client who doesn’t know English; you can use the Google
Translate feature to translate his/her messages into your desired language, i.e., English.

To use this feature, all you have to do is search for Google Translate in the search bar, and
Google will show an interactive area for you where you can translate languages. Typically,
you will see 2 columns, the left one for the source text and the right one for the translated
text. You can simply copy your client’s message and paste it into the source area (left
column), and it will automatically detect the language and show the translated text in the
right column. English is the default translated language, but you can click on it to select any
language from the list as your translated language.

32 – Filter Explicit Content

Do you have a child using a computer? Google’s SafeSearch function protects kids from
explicit content. Toggle the Explicit results filter option to “ON” from a search results page
by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner. Though Google admits it isn’t perfect, it’s
meant to filter out explicit links, photos, or videos that can be considered inappropriate for
an all-ages audience.