Google is the most widely used search engine in the world, handling over 90% of all internet searches. However, despite its popularity, many users are unaware of the numerous tips and tricks that can make their searches faster, more accurate, and more efficient. In this article, we will explore 20 of the most useful Google tricks that you can use to get the most out of the search engine.
- Search Specific Websites
If you know that the information you’re looking for is on a particular website, you can use Google to search just that site. Simply add “site:” followed by the domain name, followed by your search query. For example, if you’re looking for information on Harry Potter on the website Pottermore, you would type “site:pottermore.com Harry Potter” into the search bar.
- Use Quotation Marks for Exact Phrases
If you’re looking for a specific phrase, putting it in quotation marks will tell Google to search for that exact phrase. For example, searching for “to be or not to be” will return results with that exact phrase, while searching for to be or not to be (without quotes) will return results with any of those words.
- Exclude Words with a Minus Sign
If you want to exclude certain words from your search, you can use a minus sign before the word you want to exclude. For example, if you’re searching for information about lions but don’t want results about the Detroit Lions football team, you could search for “lions -Detroit”.
- Use Asterisks as Wildcards
If you’re not sure about a word in a phrase or want to include variations, you can use an asterisk as a wildcard. For example, searching for “the * of life” will return results with various words in place of the asterisk, such as “the joy of life” or “the meaning of life”.
- Search for Related Websites
If you’re looking for websites related to a particular topic or website, you can use the “related:” operator followed by the website or topic. For example, searching for “related:nytimes.com” will return websites that are related to The New York Times.
- Search for Words in the URL
If you’re looking for a website that has a particular word in the URL, you can use the “inurl:” operator followed by the word. For example, searching for “inurl:tech” will return websites with “tech” in the URL.
- Search for Words in the Title
If you’re looking for websites that have a particular word in the title, you can use the “intitle:” operator followed by the word. For example, searching for “intitle:Google” will return websites with “Google” in the title.
- Search for a Range of Numbers
If you’re looking for information within a certain range of numbers, you can use the “..” operator. For example, searching for “basketball shoes $50..$100” will return results for basketball shoes that cost between $50 and $100.
- Convert Currency
If you’re travelling to another country or need to convert currencies for any reason, you can use Google’s currency converter. Simply type in the amount and currency you have, followed by “in” and the currency you want to convert to. For example, “100 USD in EUR” will convert $100 US dollars to euros.
- Define Words
If you come across a word you don’t know, you can use Google to define it for you. Simply type “define:” followed by the word. For example, “define:serendipity” will provide the definition of the word “serendipity”, which means the occurrence of happy or beneficial events by chance.
In conclusion, Google is an incredibly powerful search engine that offers numerous features and tricks to help you find the information you need quickly and efficiently. By mastering these 20 tricks, you can become a Google power user and get the most out of the search engine.
Thanks for reading