Google is a powerful tool. But you are missing out a lot of a that power if just type words into it. Google has many search operators to drag out the results you were looking for. Many of Google's search operators are not well-known. Even if you know some, read on and you will probably find at least one search operator you weren't aware of.
Exact Words and Phrases
One of the most basic and widely known search trick is using quotation marks to search for an exact phrase. For example by typing "Hello World" into Google search will dig out results containing the exact phrase "Hello World". The same method now works for exact-word queries. For example if you search for "mining" without double quotes, Google will also show results containing the words "miners". But including the quotation marks searches for the exact phrase.
Excluding a Word
A minus sign allows you to specify words that shouldn't appear in your results. For example if you are looking for pages about Linux distributions that should not mention Ubuntu, then use the following search:
linux -ubuntu
Site Search
The site: operator allows you to perform a search in a specific site. For example if you are looking for information on Google tricks on Cyber World you could use the following search term:
site:cy63rw0rld.blogspot.com google tricks
Related Words
The tilde (~) operator is the opposite of enclosing a single word in qoutes - it searches for related words, not just the word you type. For example if run the following search you will find results with words similar to "Cyber":
~Cyber
Wildcard
The asterisk (*) is a wildcard that can match any word. For example if you wanted to see what companies Google has purchased and how much they paid, you could use this search:
google purchased * for * dollars
Time Ranges
A little known search operator allows you to specify time range. For example, use the following search to find results about Ubuntu between 2008 and 2010:
ubuntu 2008..2010
File Type
The filetype: operator lets you search for specific file types. For example you can search for only PDF files about basic hacking using the search below:
filetype:pdf basic hacking
One Word OR Other
The "OR" operator lets you find words that containg one term or another. For example, using the following search will show results that contain either the word "Ubuntu" or the word "Linux". The "OR" must be in UPPERCASE.
ubuntu OR linux
Word Definitions
You don't have to google a word and look for a dictionary if you want to see its definition. Use the following search trick and you will see an inline definition:
define:word
Calculator
Use Google instead of pulling up or launching a calculator app. Use the the +, -, * and / symbols to specify arithmetic operations. You can also use brackets for more complicated expressions. Below is an example.
(4+2)*(6/2)
Unit Conversions
The calculator can also convert between units. A simple example will explain it all:
5 nautical miles in meters
With all these tricks you can pull out the exact information you want in just one go without having to spend too much time. If you liked the article please share it leave your comments. And help us reach a bigger audience on Facebook.
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