Most people agree that
Google is an amazing search engine.
However, most of us just enter a word or two and look for quick results
on the first page. Most people
don’t understand how truly sophisticated a Google Search can be. By using a few simple techniques in
your searches, you can have even better and more significant results from
Google.
All of the really
cool Google search tips and ideas listed below can be used on a Google Custom
Search Engine, such as https://www.Infotopia.info or https://www.Kidtopia.info. In
addition to accessing resources that are age-appropriate and pre-approved by
teachers and librarians, all of the search techniques below work as well. Make
your searches more powerful by trying some of these amazing search tips!
·
Search for an exact word or phrase
One of the easiest ways to
improve a Google search is to use quotation marks to search for an exact word
or a set of words. This works well if you are looking for a line from a
book or poem, song lyrics, and if you are looking for an exact word or
phrase. Example: “For whom the
bell tolls”
·
Exclude a Word or Website
One of the easiest ways for
students to make a mistake when searching via Google is to use an ambiguous
words or a word with several connotations. To exclude a word, type the keyword and a space, and then
type a minus or dash sign plus the word you want to exclude. If you want to exclude a website in the
results, use the same technique, but use -site:
followed by the website to be excluded.
Examples: mercury -planet or climate -site:wikipedia.org
·
Use a Wildcard
If you want to fill in the
blank for a quotation or a phrase you are looking for, use an asterisk (*). Be
sure to enclose the phrase in quotation marks. This is sometimes called a
“wildcard.” Example:
“A rose by any other*”
·
Use OR
To include several related words
in a keyword search, use OR in all capital letters. Example: teenager OR adolescent
·
Find Definitions
Just type define: followed by the word for which
you are seeking a definition. The
results will be displayed at the top of the page. Google will offer the definition, the part of speech, the pronunciation
of the word, similar and related words, the word’s origins, and translations
into many other languages. Example: define:psychology
·
Correct Spelling
Just type spell: followed by the closest spelling
that you know for the word. Google
will suggest a word and follow with the all the information given under
“Definitions” above. Example: spell:psychologie (Google will correct the spelling.
·
Use a Unit Convertor
Google will convert area,
length, mass, pressure, temperature (Celsius vs. Fahrenheit), time, volume,
currency, and more, after you type your entry into the search box. Example: 40 euros or 32 degrees F
·
Use a Stopwatch or Timer
Just type in stopwatch, and
both a stopwatch and timer will appear at the top of the results, ready for you
to use.
·
Use a Calculator
Enter a math problem directly
into the search box and Google will solve the problem, at the top of the
results.
·
Find the Weather
If you type weather into the search box, a box
immediately pops up that shows your local seven day forecast, including
temperature, precipitation, wind velocity, etc. You can also add a different city if you are looking for the
weather somewhere else in the world.
·
Do a Site Search
If you want to find an
article on climate change on a specific website, just type in site:
followed immediately by the website you want to use. Then, skip a space and type in the search keywords. Here’s an example: site:nasa.gov
climate change. You’ll find an article on climate change on the nasa.gov
website. You can try this with almost
any website.
·
Find Related Sites
To search for related sites,
just type Related: followed by the website
for which you are looking for a similar site. Example: Related:webmd.com
or Related:cnn.com
·
Search Social Media
Search social media by
typing the social media site followed by a colon and the person or business you
are looking for. Example: facebook:keto or instagram:keto
·
Explore Sports
Simply type in the name of a
team or player into the Google Search Box and Google will immediately display all
pertinent information: the latest game, scores, news articles, standings, and
the names of players.
·
Get Stock Quotes
Just type the symbol of a stock, or type stock quote and the name of the stock
and you’ll get a graph of the stock prices, with detailed financial
information. You can also click on
“Follow” to keep track of changes for particular stocks. Example: aapl or amz
·
Find Nutritional Information
Just type nutrition: followed by the name of the
food for which you are searching. A large chart will pop up with the full
nutritional information, such as total calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium,
potassium, protein, vitamin information, etc. Example: nutrition:potato
·
Search for a Hashtag
Just type in a hashtag (#)
and a word and you will see articles about that topic as well as Twitter links
to that topic. Try it with #winter.
·
Use Google Tabs
Whenever you perform a
Google search, you will notice that a set of tabs is displayed at the top of
the page. These tabs might include
images, videos, news, books, maps, shopping, or others. If you are only searching for an image,
just click on the image tab and only images will be displayed. Tabs are an excellent way to improve
your search results.
·
Search by File Type
Many Google users are not
aware of this search technique. It
can be a very useful search, especially for teachers. If you are looking for a presentation (PPT) or a document
(PDF) for a certain topic, just type the keyword and a space followed by filetype:PDF or filetype:PPT. Examples: biomes
filetype:PDF or biomes
filetype:PPT. Google
will locate all the PDFs and PPTs on your chosen topic.
Other
Really Cool Google Ideas
·
Use Drag and Drop Features in Google Image Search
Are you trying to identify a
certain image or photograph by location or by name? A unique feature of Google Search allows you to drag and
drop the image into a Google Image Search box. Just type in Google
Images in the Google search box, click on the link, and then drag and drop
the image into the Google Images search box. Google will display and identify the image or identify
similar images.
·
Translate with Google
If you type Google Translate into the search box, a
free Google Translator will appear, allowing you to translate words and phrases
from one language to another, with several hundred languages available. Google Translate is also available as
an app for your smart device.
·
Explore Travel Information
Type Google Flights into a Google search box and click on the link to
Google Flights. Then type the
names of two airports (or their airport codes) and the dates into the search
boxes. Google will then display
all the flights and the pricing available, from multiple airlines. Often, there
is a link to the airlines’ websites for booking the flight directly.
·
Create a Google Alert
Are you watching for news on
a certain topic? You can set a Google Alert to send pertinent
notifications to you. An example
might be to keep informed about a certain diet or a certain politician. Type in google.com/alerts in the Google search box. Click on the link to
Google Alerts and enter the search term you for which are seeking alerts. You can select how often you want your
alerts to be sent to you, as well as the language, region, and the email to
receive the alerts.
·
Employ Google Advanced Image Search
This an amazing feature
offered by Google if you looking for a specific image to be used in a
presentation or web page. First,
type in Google Advanced Image Search
in the search box and click on the result. You can then search for an image by
keyword or phrase, image size, aspect ratio, color, type of image, region, file
type, and usage rights. The usage
rights will tell you if the image is free to use, share, or modify, even for
commercial purposes.
Share your comments:
·
What is your
favorite Google search tip in this article?
·
Which Google
Search tip was the most surprising to you?
·
Share a unique
Google Search tip that you have discovered.
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