Everyone Should Use the Most Helpful Google Search Modifiers
Hidden search modifiers might help you locate better results much faster.
You probably use Google several times a day, from looking up nearby eateries to looking up answers to common questions. Even if you don't enter in the exact term, Google is usually fairly good at providing you what you want. But there's undoubtedly space for improvement when it comes to utilizing Google for research, especially for work...and that's where a few secret methods can come in handy.
When possible, use quotation marks.
Are you looking for a specific author's name, a long phrase, lyrics, or idiom? Google will occasionally provide results that match a few of words but not the whole sentence. When you put quotation marks around a term, Google will only show results that match that phrase.
For instance, the iPad Air "4th generation"
To avoid words that are deceptive, use dashes.
Your search results can be messed up by a certain word. If you don't want results for a specific word, simply use a dash to remove it from the equation.
Take, for example, the term "great canyon."
For the finest search tool, use Google's tabs.
It's easy to overlook the fact that Google is much more than just a text search engine. There's Google Images, Google Maps, and Google Books, to name a few. Toggle between these modes using the tabs at the top.
To include common synonyms, use a tilde.
Do you want to broaden your search results? To get results linked to a term, type a tilde symbol before the word.
For instance, consider coding a class. (This way, you'll get results for coding schools, classes, and courses, among other things.)
Look for the specific file type you're looking for.
This is extremely helpful when searching for papers on the internet: To hunt for PDFs, type in the search keyword and then add “filetype:pdf” at the end. This format is also used in PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, and Excel sheets.
Filetype:ppt, for example, climate change report
Look for citations that point to a certain page.
This is a minor point, but it can assist you in locating pages that link to a given page. If you need to find citations for a college essay, for example, simply utilize the “link:(insert link here)” format.
For instance, here's a link: lifehacker.com
If you can't remember a word, put an asterisk next to it.
When you're looking for lyrics to a song, sometimes you can't remember a few words. An asterisk is used in this case. This is treated by Google as a wildcard or a blank, and it will return search results based on your knowledge gaps.
For instance: strawberry * indefinitely
Find websites that are related to what you're looking for.
This is a search tip that everyone should be aware of: Let's say you like a website and want to find more like it—you can simply use the "related:(site address)" search term to have Google do the legwork for you.
For instance, boardgamegeek.com is related to boardgamegeek.com.
Directly from Google, conduct site-specific searches.
The search feature on most websites isn't very good. However, because Google indexes web material, you may rely on Google to search across websites. The next time you need to find a website, use the word "site:(website url)."
Site:lifehacker.com, for example.
Find outcomes from two distinct sources.
Are you looking for results from two terms? For example, perhaps you're browsing for Netflix or Amazon Prime TV series. You may do this by utilizing the pipe symbol (the vertical bar), which basically instructs Google to pick one of these two options.
Consider the following: Netflix | Prime
Use a number range to narrow down your search.
When conducting online research using Google, filtering down results within a specific date can be beneficial. You can search between two numbers by using two dots.
For instance, scholarly studies from 1920 to 1935.
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