Buzz
If you're like most people—relying on Google every day to find answers, explore new knowledge—you know that finding exactly what you want isn't always a breeze. Google Search is a powerhouse with numerous advanced search features you might not be aware of. Let's explore some Google search methods that will enhance your search experience.
Advanced Search Algorithm
If you want to search results only from a specific website, enter: “site:website address (no spaces) keyword”. For example: “site:Mytour photoshop”, and you'll get results containing the keyword “photoshop” but exclusively from Mytour.
Search for PDFs of reports or presentations? Google allows you to search for specific file types, including PDFs, Word, and other text files using the command “filetype: file name”.
To use this algorithm, simply input it along with the file type you're searching for, followed by the keyword. For example: filetype: pdf covid 19. You can identify PDF files next to the URL of the search results.
Google also provides algorithms that enable you to request the tool to search your query only in the URL, title, or content of the page. They include:
- (URL) Allinurl:
- (Title) Allintitle:
- (Content) Allintext:
Example:
- If you want to search for “action movies” within the webpage content, input: allintext: action movies.
- Similarly, when you're searching for “action movies” in the page title: allintitle: action movies.
- For URLs, it's the same: allinurl: action movies.
By using “related: ”, you can search for websites related to a specific URL. For example: searching “related: amazon.com” will find e-commerce pages similar to Amazon.
Additionally, you can search within a range using the ellipsis (..). When combined with a pair of numbers, this algorithm asks Google to only search results within that specific range. So, if you're looking for a product within a certain price range, perform a search: “Macbook $1000 .. $2000”.
Use the asterisk (*)
In Google search, the asterisk (*) can substitute for any word. So, when you're looking for a specific phrase but can't recall one or more words, you can enter part of the phrase and substitute the rest with an asterisk.
For example: When you input “King Bảo Đại and * Queen”, Google Search will automatically understand it as “King Bảo Đại and Queen Nam Phương”. This way, you'll receive the search results accordingly. You can also use multiple asterisks to indicate that there are several missing words in the position.
Perform simple calculations and quick unit conversions
Utilize Google search for quick basic calculations. Example for the problem “4x2+12” – and Google will provide the result using the calculator tool at the top of the search results.
You can also use Google for swift conversions of measurement units or currencies. For instance: “100 USD to VND”.
Search with Boolean
Looking for a specific keyword but getting results with a related term you're not interested in? Or do you need to search for two different keywords at the same time? In such cases, use simple Boolean words like AND, NOT, and OR to make your searches more specific.
Example:
- “Beautiful photos AND beautiful videos”: only returns results with both “beautiful photos” and “beautiful videos”.
- “Beautiful photos OR beautiful videos”: only returns results related to either term.
- “Beautiful photos NOT beautiful videos”: only returns results for “beautiful photos”.
Make sure you capitalize the Boolean words; otherwise, Google will consider them part of the search.
While everyone uses Google daily, not everyone knows about hidden features for searching. With these algorithms, you can search on Google like a pro.
