Google is my go to for EVERYTHING. A few years ago I realized that thanks to Google no question is ever unanswered. Every curiosity is met with pages and pages of powerful answers, interesting tidbits and fun facts. Even though I use Google daily, my use is pretty simplistic, so I really appreciated the article I found on Hubspot. I only listed 8 of the 12 tips they offered because a few of them did not work for me. Additionally, Google no longer provides the phone-listing feature as they received too many user complaints. The following are tips to be more efficient and productive when you are “Googling” for information.
- Explicit Phrase: Searching for a phrase as opposed to single words is a more efficient way of specifying what you are looking for. To search for phrases, the phrase must be in quotes.Example: “photography equipment”
- Exclude words: If you want to search for photography equipment but do not want photography equipment advertising, you can exclude advertising by typing it this way:
Example: “photography equipment” – advertising - Site-specific search: Lets say I want to search for Cannon Macro Lens on the Best Buy website. As opposed to running the search on Best Buy’s website, I can use Google to go directly to the page I need:
Example: “canon macro lenses” site:www.bestbuy.com - Similar words with Synonyms: Let’s say you want to include similar words in your search without coming up with them yourself. Simply use the “~” symbol in front of the word.
Example: “attorney” ~professional - Specific Document Types: When looking for a specific type of file use the modifier “filetype”. If you are looking for PowerPoint presentations on a specific topic search for it this way:
Example: “internet marketing” filetype:ppt - Stock (Ticker Symbol): Google provides a quick thumbnail chart of any publicly traded stock. Simply enter the valid ticker symbol in the search field:
Example: GOOG - Calculator: No need to search for a calculator on your phone, desk, or computer. Simply type in the calculation you need and Google’s built in calculator will provide the answer.
Example: 3456 * 789 - Word Definitions: Google provides a built-in dictionary for words or phrases.
Example: define:plethora
