Google: Better Search. Better results. (updated)

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Google: Better Search. Better results. (updated)

Here are some nifty modifiers to type in your Google search box to refine your searches and get the best results. To get a pdf copy of these tips, download it by clicking here

Exact Phrase

What it does: Searches for an exact phraseWhat to type: “one small step for man”What you’ll get: results that include the exact phrase “one small step for man”

Excluded Words

What it does: excludes search results with a particular word or phrase

What to type: bass -fishing

What you’ll get: results about bass that are not related to fishing.

Similar Words

What it does: searches for a word and all its synonyms

What to type: ~mobile phone

What you’ll get: rresults with the word “phone,” as well as “cell,” “cellular,” “wireless,” etc.

Multiple Words

What it does: searches for web pages that include either word

What to type: “vacation” “London” OR “Paris”

What you’ll get: results with the word vacation and either London or Paris.

Numerical Ranges

What it does: searches for a range of numbers

What to type: Willie Mays 1950…1960

What you’ll get: results about Willie Mays during this time period.

Find Meanings

What it does: defines a word or phrase

What to type: define:plethora

What you’ll get: links to definitions of the word “plethora”

Site Specific

What it does: searches only particular websites

What to type: global warming site:edu

What you’ll get: references to “global warming” found on .edu websites

Linked Pages

What it does: searches for web pages that link to a particular website

What to type: link:www.umich.edu

What you’ll get: websites that link to the University of Michigan website.

Math Answers

What it does: basic calculator functions

What to type: 4+7, 30% of 55, 20^2, sqrt(4), etc.

What you’ll get: the answer

Conversions

What it does: converts units of measure

What to type: cm in foot, 28C in F, $ in pound, days in fortnight, miles in league, mph in speed of light, etc.

What you’ll get: the converted answer

UPDATE

AND or +With “AND” or “+” you can link words, so all linked terms are included in the search results. I’m adding this to give a complete collection. Google automatically searches for all given terms. Example: sun AND moon or sun +moon. Note the “AND” must be in caps and there is no space after the “+”.
OR or |Use these to search for either term.Example: sun OR moon or sun | moon
Note that again “OR” must be in caps, but in this case there is a space after the “|”.
” “Putting terms in a quote indicates a sentence and will be searched for exactly in this composition. Example: “the sun lights up the moon”
- The minus indicates that the following word or quoted set or words will be excluded from the search results. Example: sun -moon or sun -”moon and stars”Note that there is no space after the “-”
* This is the so called wildcard. The asterisk represents a missing word, use it to let Google fill in any potential word. Example: “the * lights up the moon”
~ To search for all synonyms of a word, put a tilde directly infront of it. Example: ~sun
This search will bring back results containing the terms sun, solaris, solar, and a couple less obvious ones.
.. The double dot put directly between two numbers denotes a range to narrow the results down. Example: “solar eclipse 1990..2005″Note that there are no spaces between the numbers or the dots.
Advanced Search: If you have a hard time remembering all of these operators, use Google’s Advanced Search .
cache: A clever operator to use if you suppose a page has changed or if it’s not currently available. Search for cached site versions within the Google Cache. Example: cache:http://www.nukta77.com