When it comes to searching the web, Google remains the dominant player. While the search engine has changed substantially over the years, it still provides a number of ways to hone searches as finely as you want. Finding these tools, however, may require bit of searching. Here are five Google search features to help you find exactly what you are looking for.
Verbatim
In the past, Google would search for the exact string that was typed. Today, Google will use synonyms and similar terms when presenting results. In some cases, however, you may want to search for an exact term. By enabling the verbatim option, it is possible to search for exact terms and avoid synonyms and similar words.
Double quotes
When you enter a search query, Google displays articles that contain each word. If you want to search for an exact phrase, however, this can lead to problems. By placing a search query in double quotes, you can tell Google to search for the exact phrase you are looking for.
Filter by time
In default mode, Google does not filter articles by time. While there are useful websites from the late 1990s, information changes over time, and old websites may become obsolete. Fortunately, Google allow searchers to set certain time parameters on their searches, which allows users to seek recent information. In addition, it is possible to use this technique to look for information from the past while ignoring recent results.
Video and image searches
Most users search for text information online. In some cases, however, it may be useful to search for images or videos. Google’s image searching capabilities allow it to access information from all websites. Google also contains links to all the major video sites, which allows users to find results that may not be from YouTube or Google Video.
Scholarly and legal documents
In some cases, it may be necessary to search through articles written in major science journals. Those seeking medical information, for example, may need to rely on obscure articles to find necessary information. In addition, those working in the legal field may need to find legal documents that may be spread across multiple websites. By indexing these documents, Google can reduce the workload placed on those in academia or the legal field substantially.
When it comes to finding common information, Google is simple to use. After years of refinement, the engineers at Google have learned how to generate results that most searchers will find useful. Those in niche fields or those looking for information that is hard to find online, however, may find Google’s default results to be insufficient. By taking advantage of advanced search options and tweaking search engine queries using other techniques, it is possible to find exactly what one is looking for without having to go many pages of results.
David is an SEO Manager at Search Factory, an online marketing and Search Engine Optimisation agency located in Brisbane, Australia. David considers himself a search engine guru, and is always willing to share some of his top tips to effectively use the search engines. For more information visit: http://searchfactory.com.au
Image Credit:
Easily Mused
