If there is one thing that the Internet has changed about our lives, it’s the way that we find information. It doesn’t matter if we are looking for a recipe, for directions or for the answer to a useless trivia question, it seems to be right there at our fingertips. The primary way that we search for anything is Google, and it seems to have taken over our lives in this way.
Although you may use Google on a regular basis, there are likely some ways to use it that you don’t know. Understanding these tips and tricks about searching on Google may not only change the way that you search, it can truly enhance your life in amazing ways. The following 10 tips are going to make a difference in the way that you use Google now and forever.
1. Either This or That
If you are not sure that you remembered something exactly the right way, you may want to start your search by using a few variations. You can either separate them by the pipe symbol or you can simply use the word “or”. The results will make a lot more sense to you.
2. Synonyms
We use synonyms in our lives on a regular basis, often without even realizing it. It can also be a convenient way for you to do your research online. If you aren’t exactly sure of what to look for on the subject, use the ~ symbol. For example, you can search for “healthy ~eating” and you will be given results about principles surrounding the subject.
3. Search within websites
If you know that something you want is on a specific website, you can let Google find it for you. Type the website address into the search box, leave a space and then type your query.
4. Using an asterisk
If you seem to be missing one word and the you can’t quite get it, use an asterisk as a wildcard. Replace the unknown word or phrase and it should find the results for you.
5. When You Are Missing A Lot Of Words
If you are missing a large portion of the phrase and you can’t remember it, put the beginning and the end and then use “AROUND + (approximate number of missing words)” between them. For example, “I wandered AROUND(4) cloud.”
6. Using a time
If you need to become familiar with events that occurred during a certain time period, you can add a time to your search query. Simply enter your query and then the two dates separated by 3 dots.
7. Search for a URL or title
If you want to find keywords or the name of an article, use the intitle: before your search query. Don’t leave any spaces between the colon and your query
8. Find similar websites
If you like something in a particular website and want to find others that are similar to it, type related: and then the address of the website. Don’t leave a space this time either.
9. Whole phrases
If you are sure about the exact phrase you want to search for, put it in quotation marks. In that way, it will only show you the search results when they match the exact phrase.
10. Unimportant search words
If you want to narrow down your search further, you can use negative search words. You do so by using a minus sign before the unwanted word.
Via: Bright Side
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