I’m Feeling Lucky Google Searching
In most parts of the world, the term Google is instantly recognized as the search engine of choice to use, as it is the most popular site on the Internet and is even considered a word in the Oxford English Dictionary. It is a tool that is useful for every demographic of the population, ranging from students using it for assignments and elderly people using it to research how to use their new Macintosh computer. For many households, Google has become a necessity, because it is a giant hub of information that caters to people’s needs and desires (such as finding the best chocolate chip cookie recipe).
When searching for answers, a Google newbie would probably not spend their time scrolling through the numerous pages of “ooooo’s” to find exactly what they were looking for. They would simply browse through the first couple hits, and retry their search. In order to enhance your experience on Google, I will be providing tips and tricks to maximize your searches in the easiest way possible to reach your destination of a vast amount of information in no time.
Tip #1: Keywords are KEY
Do you ever have difficulty finding the answer you’re looking for on Google, and think to yourself, “am I really the only person in the world who’s wondering the exact season and episode of Friends where Rachel gets the ugly hairless cat?” Maybe it’s because what you’re searching for is too specific, and you’re using too complicated of words. In order to refine the Friends search I would suggest to use the keywords such as, “Friends episode Rachel hairless cat,” and hopefully it would lead you into the right direction. Really think about what you’re looking for, and use the most important words instead of a long phrase. This will allow Google to provide a lot more content for you to browse through to find exactly what you were hoping for.
Tip #2: Finding the Exact Match
If you don’t feel like scrolling through numerous links to find exactly what you are looking for, using quotation marks (“yoursearch”) or query will lead you to the exact match. It is very useful in advanced searches because it is able to find results for exactly what you typed, rather than searching for your phrase as individual words in a different order. This tool comes in handy when looking for very specific information that could be buried deep in the Internet. For example, if you’re looking for an exact model of a piece of furniture, using quotation marks in your search will allow Google to curate a list of sites pertaining to precisely what you need.
Tip #3: Removing What Is Unnecessary
Searching for things on Google can essentially lead you into a never-ending black hole, especially if there’s a couple million hits. If you are searching something that is ambiguous, meaning that the word or phrase has more than one meaning, it can take forever to find exactly what you are looking for. By using a dash or minus sign (-) in your search, you can filter through what you did not want to see. For example, if you are someone looking to work at the retail store Roots, and you wanted to know the benefits or perks of being employed there, googling “benefits of roots -food,” will list reviews of work experience, rather than health benefits of root vegetables. This can be essential to maximizing your Google searches, without having to scour the Internet, because only what you’re looking for will pop up on screen.
Tip #4: Particular and Specific
Doing research can be tedious, especially when you can’t find an article from a specific website. When using Google search, a colon can be used to search for content from a singular source. For example, if you are looking for articles on the “digital divide,” specifically from the New York Times, searching for “digital divide site:nytimes.com” will show you articles published only on that website. This trick is definitely useful when finding credible sources, with legitimate content, and avoiding false information that can be detrimental to your work.
Following these tips will hopefully save you time in searching for life’s greatest answers. Googling can be an art you can master in no time, you just have to know what you’re searching for, because I can assure you that your answer is out there somewhere on the Web. Majority of the world owe it to Larry Page and Sergey Brin for creating one of the most useful tools known to man (or woman), as Google has inevitably taken over the world and will continue helping people in their everyday lives. Happy searching and may you find the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
Content source:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/20-tips-use-google-search-efficiently.html
http://searchengineland.com/top-10-search-modifiers-why-they-matter-what-they-are-how-to-use-them-173343
