12 Expert Google Search Tips
- Explicit Phrase:
Lets say you are looking for content about internet marketing. Instead of just typinginternet marketing into the Google search box, you will likely be better off searching explicitly for the phrase. To do this, simply enclose the search phrase within double quotes.Example: "internet marketing"
- Exclude Words:
Lets say you want to search for content about internet marketing, but you want to exclude any results that contain the term advertising. To do this, simply use the "-" sign in front of the word you want to exclude.Example Search: internet marketing -advertising
- Site Specific Search:
Often, you want to search a specific website for content that matches a certain phrase. Even if the site doesn’t support a built-in search feature, you can use Google to search the site for your term. Simply use the "site:somesite.com" modifier.Example: "internet marketing" site:www.smallbusinesshub.com
- Similar Words and Synonyms:
Let’s say you want to include a word in your search, but want to include results that contain similar words or synonyms. To do this, use the "~" in front of the word.Example: "internet marketing" ~professional
- Specific Document Types:
If you’re looking to find results that are of a specific type, you can use the modifier "filetype:". For example, you might want to find only PowerPoint presentations related to internet marketing.Example: "internet marketing" filetype:ppt
- This OR That:
By default, when you do a search, Google will include all the terms specified in the search. If you are looking for any one of one or more terms to match, then you can use the OR operator. (Note: The OR has to be capitalized).Example: internet marketing OR advertising
- Phone Listing:
Let’s say someone calls you on your mobile number and you don’t know who it is. If all you have is a phone number, you can look it up on Google using the phonebook feature.Example: phonebook:617-555-1212 (note: the provided number does not work – you’ll have to use a real number to get any results).
- Area Code Lookup:
If all you need to do is to look-up the area code for a phone number, just enter the 3-digit area code and Google will tell you where it’s from.Example: 617
- Numeric Ranges:
This is a rarely used, but highly useful tip. Let’s say you want to find results that contain any of a range of numbers. You can do this by using the X..Y modifier (in case this is hard to read, what’s between the X and Y are two periods.) This type of search is useful for years (as shown below), prices, or anywhere where you want to provide a series of numbers.Example: president 1940..1950
- Stock (Ticker Symbol):
Just enter a valid ticker symbol as your search term and Google will give you the current financials and a quick thumb-nail chart for the stock.Example: GOOG
- Calculator:
The next time you need to do a quick calculation, instead of bringing up the Calculator applet, you can just type your expression in to Google.Example: 48512 * 1.02
- Word Definitions:
If you need to quickly look up the definition of a word or phrase, simply use the "define:" command.Example: define:plethora
Hope this list of Google search tips proves useful in your future Google searches. If there are any of your favorite Google expert power tips that I’ve missed, please feel free to share them in the comments.
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All Tips & Tricks
Web history
Web History offers you a log of websites you've visited, a timeline of your actions and the ability to search your own online history. Try it out at www.google.com/history.
Start simple
No matter what you're looking for, our motto is "keep it simple." Start by entering a basic name or word. If you're looking for a place or product in a specific location, enter the name along with the town or zip code.
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Ignore spelling
Google's spell checker automatically defaults to the most common spelling of a given word, whether or not you spell it correctly.
Use web friendly words
A search engine works by matching the words you enter to pages on the web. So using words that are most likely to appear on pages will yield the best results. For example, instead of saying my head hurts, say headache, because that's the term a medical website would use.
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Less is more
Simple, one or two word search terms will usually give you the broadest results. Start with short search terms, then refine your results by adding more words.
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Search with an exact phrase
Put quotation marks around words "[any word]" to search for an exact phrase in an exact order. Keep in mind that searching with quotes might exclude relevant results. For instance, a search for "Alexander Bell" will miss pages that refer to Alexander G. Bell.
Use descriptive words
The more unique the word, the more likely you are to get relevant results. So [celebrity ringtones] is probably better than [celebrity sounds]. Keep in mind though, that even if the word has the correct meaning, if it's not the one most people use, it may not match the pages you need.
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Don't worry about cases
Search isn't case sensitive. A search for new york times is the same as a search for New York Times.
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Search within a specific site
Precede your query with site: if you know you want your answer from within a specific site or type of site (.org, .edu). For example: site:edu or site:nytimes.com.
Don't worry about punctuation
Search ignores punctuation. This includes @#%^*()=[]\ and other special characters.
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Search by file type
Search for specific types of files, such as PDFs, PPTs, or XLS, by adding filetype: and the 3-letter file abbreviation.
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Include or ignore words and characters in your search
Highlight common words and characters such as the and & if they are essential to your search (as in a movie or book title) by putting quotation marks "the" around them. You can also use the minus - sign to specify particular items you don't want in your results, like ingredients in a recipe.
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Find recipes
After searching for a specific recipe or ingredients, select "Recipes" in the left panel to see recipe results.
Search numbers in a range
Stay within your budget by searching only for items within a number range by putting a string .. between amounts.
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Get number conversions
Convert any measurement -- like miles to kilometers or ounces to liters -- by typing in the number and unit of measurement.
Get the time
To see what time it is anywhere in the world, search time and the city or country.
Get currency conversions
Get current exchange rates by searching [currency 1] in [currency 2].
Search the web
in all languages
When you're searching, click "More search tools" on the left panel of your results page, then select "Translated foreign pages." The feature will choose the best language in which to search and deliver results translated back in English.
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Check the weather
Search weather followed by a U.S. zip code or the name of any city in the world to get the current weather and forecast. Enter weather by itself to get the weather report for your current location.
Get realtime stock quotes
Typing any ticker symbol into the search box will get you realtime stock quotes that update live in your search results. Click the link on the results page for a detailed market analysis from Google Finance.
Check sport scores
and schedules
Get scores and schedules for your favorite NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB teams simply by typing the team or league into the search box. All sports data provided by STATS, Inc.
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Search with Goggles
Want to search the web using your mobile phone's camera instead of words? On an Android, open your Google Goggles app (on an iPhone, open the Google Search app and select Goggles), snap a picture of the item you want to search for, and wait for your results. No typing necessary.
Track your packages
Track your UPS, FedEx, or USPS packages by typing the tracking number directly into the search box. The results will show you the status of your shipment.
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Get definitions
Put define: in front of any word to get its definition.
Search by
advanced image search
Use Advanced Image Search to find an exact size, color or type of photo or drawing. With the tools in the left panel, you can filter your search to include only photos with faces, clip art, high-res images or only images that are available for commercial use.
Calculate anything
Enter any math equation into the search box and we'll calculate your answer.
Locate earthquake activity
Type earthquake in the search box and your results will feature U.S. Geological Survey info showing the time, place and magnitude of recent earthquakes.
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Search by location
Add a zip code to the end of any place search like barbecue ribs and get results showing the nearest rib joints, along with phone numbers, a map, and even reviews. If you don't include your zip code, we may suggest places near you.
Search locations by
zip and area codes
Want to know where a given zip code or area code is located? Just type it into the search box.
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Shop and compare
Use the "Shopping" link on the left panel on the results page to shop for products and compare prices across the web.
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Get local sunrise/sunset times
To see the exact times of sunrises and sunsets in cities around the U.S. and the world, search sunrise or sunset followed by the city name.
Discover local business
To find a store, restaurant or other business in a given neighborhood, enter the type of business and the location and we'll deliver a list of nearby places, along with a map, reviews and contact info. If you don't include the location in your search, we'll just find locations close to you.
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Get movie times
Search on a movie name or just movie to see theater locations and showtimes in your area.
Read public domain books
Read the complete texts of public domain works like Moby Dick for free by selecting "books" in the left panel of your search results.
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Hone in on a particular range
To specify a particular number range, type .. then a space, then the numbers in your range. For example, if you're searching for cars with over 300 horsepower, search cars"300.. horsepower". Here are some other examples: "220.. V" or "1.. RPM" or "8000.. mAh" battery
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Check flight schedules
To see flight schedules to or from a particular destination, type flights from or flights to followed by the city or airport of interest. You can also add another location with to or fromand view the schedule for a specific route.*Flight schedule data is provided by OAG and QuickTrip by Innovata.
Research health conditions
To see information about a common disease or symptom, enter it into the search box and we’ll return the beginning of an expert summary. You can click through to read the entire article.
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Check flight times
View live arrival and departure information for U.S. flights just by searching the name of the airline and the flight number.
Get world news
Search any topic and then click the "News" tab in the left panel to get news results from sources around the world.
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Search for an address
To map any location, type in the city name or zip code followed by the word [map], and you'll see a map of that location. Click on the map to see it on Google Maps.
Similar terms
Get results that include synonyms by placing the ~ sign immediately in front of your search term. A search for Christmas ~dessert recipes, for instance, will return results for desserts, along with candy, cookies and other treats.
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Search by voice
To search the web by speaking, tap the microphone button on the Google search box on your home screen, or press down for a few seconds on the physical search button on your phone to activate the "Speak Now" screen. Voice Search for Android supports Voice Actions on Android 2.2 (Froyo) and above.
Examine public data
Search demographic terms like population orunemployment rate, followed by a county, state or country, and you'll get instant data about your chosen location directly from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. From there, you can click through to compare rates in different locations.
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Get interactive financial info
To get interactive financial results, go to google.com on your iPhone or Android-powered device (2.1 or later) and search for your favorite stock symbol. You'll see an interactive graph shown on a card; you can switch views to different date ranges by tapping on the buttons below the graph.
Find medication information
Search the name of a generic or brand-name prescription drug and we'll display its summary and description. You can also click through to more info about side effects, dosage and precautions from the National Institutes of Health.
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Instant on mobile
Google Instant on mobile makes search faster by displaying not just predictions but actual search results as you type. The beta version is available for most iPhone and Android devices in the U.S. To try it, go to google.com in your phone's browser and tap the Google Instant "Turn on" link beneath the search box (if you don't see the "Turn on" link, try waiting a moment and then refresh the page).
Use instant preview on mobile
Google Instant Previews is available on mobile for Android (2.2+) and iOS (4.0+) devices across 38 languages. Like the desktop version of Instant Previews, you can visually compare search results from webpage snapshots, making it easier to choose the right result faster.
Search by location
If you want to find sushi nearby, go to Google.com on your smartphone and type "sushi". If you've chosen to share your location with Google, you'll get business results near your current location. If you want to search somewhere else, specify a location in the query, like pizza Kansas City.
Get interactive weather
To see a new weather search results snippet that lets you actually play with the results just go to google.com on your iPhone or Android-powered device and search for weather.
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