Humans are naturally curious. That’s why search engines exist – to satisfy our craving for information and make life comfortable.
It’s easy to ignore what search engines can do for you; however, you can’t deny that Google has made life easy.
When last did you argue with your friends over a piece of information and didn’t sneak to check Google for the answer?
Don’t feel bad – I do the same!
Searching on Google is now the lifeline for billions of people, according to a recent report by Oberlo, Google processes over eight billion searches daily.
I know you just said wow – that’s the truth!
However, with the billions of daily searches, many are yet to scratch the surface of this search engine power.
Google is like a bomb with the inherent capacity to do more than you imagine.
Do you want to use Google better and get your search results quickly?
Here are some essential tips to increase your Googling skills efficiency.
Let’s move!
Google Search Tips 99% of People Don’t Know About
1. The Power of Tabs
Before I dive into deep water, I need to be sure I’m not ignoring the basics – the use of tabs. At the top of each search you make on Google are some tabs; All, videos, images, and news.
If you want images, click the image tab. If you are interested in videos, click the video tab.
Optimizing these tabs makes it easy to access results in different formats.
2. The Use of Operators
Google algorithm provides information based on search terms. But there are times the results provided are different from what users need.
Do you experience this problem?
I’m sure you do!
The solution is to change your search result with operators.
Here are a few operators you can use to refine your search result:
– Use quotations (“ “) in your search term: For example, if you search for Kari Brooke Jobe, you will get results not exactly in the order you search. However, when you add a quotation and search “Kari Brooke Jobe”, you will get results that include this search term in the same order.
– Include a tilde (~) in front of a word to get synonym results: If you want to do a search and the synonym of your search term, you need to add a tilde. For example, if you search iwatch ~ cheap, you will see results for iwatch – affordable, and more.
– Use the hyphen (-) symbol to omit results: For example, if you search best red cars – Toyota, the result will provide results excluding Toyota cars.
– Using two periods (..): Use two periods between the numbers to limit results to a date or price range. If you’re looking for a phone in a specific price range, you may search for a phone for $100..$200 only to see phones within that range.
– Add Site: If you want a result from one website, use site: followed by the site’s URL. For instance, search car tips site:carbuyingtips.com to get results about car tips from carbuyingtips.com only.
– Add file type: Use filetype: to limit your search to upload files that match your search term if you’re searching the internet for a specific file type. For example, you can use filetype:pdf to locate a PDF
or filetype:doc for a Microsoft Office document.
– Search similar sites: You can add the operator “related:” before your search term. For instance, if you search related:bigcommerce, the result brings woocommerce, Amazon, and more.
3. The Advanced Search
I mentioned earlier that many users are yet to scratch the surface of Google’s possibilities.
When last did you use Google’s advanced search?
Many don’t know that there is an Advanced Search feature on Google. Don’t be shy about it – it’s not an ordeal.
The Advanced Google Search sifts irrelevant results and locates relevant information that might not be available on a regular search.
To access the Advanced Google Search features:
1. Input your search term into the search box.
2. Click the Setting gear icon at the top right of the search page.
3. Click Advanced Search close to the bottom of the new pop-up. A new page pops up displaying the Advanced Search features.
4. Advanced Search allows you to modify your search result. You can include the exact word or phrase you want, the words you don’t want, the number range, and more.
5. Most importantly, you can narrow your result by language, region, last update, site or domain, terms appearing, SafeSearch, file type, and usage rights.
6. Click the Advanced Search icon to display the search result.
Note: You can only perform an Advanced Search on the web, not mobile.
How to Perform an Advanced Image Search
1. Input your search term into the search box.
2. Click on the image tab after the result page pops up.
3. Click the Setting gear icon at the top right of the result page.
4. Click Advanced Search. A new page will display showcasing the Advanced Image Search features. Advanced Image Search makes it easy to find images with some words or phrases excluding some words.
5. You can narrow your results by image size, aspect ratio, colours in the image, type of image, region, site or domain, SafeSearch, file type, and usage rights.
6. Click the Advanced Search icon to perform the search.
4. The Time Filter
Do you want information around a specific timeframe? You can use Google’s search tool on desktop and mobile to filter the search result based on a particular time.
On the desktop, click Tools beneath the magnifying lens at the top of the search page. Two icons display immediately after this action – Any time and All results.
Click Any time to access a list of different timeframes – past hour, past 24 hours, past week, past month, past year, and custom range.
On mobile, swipe to the end of your search page and click Search Tools.
5. Appearance
Google now allows its users to change their theme. To change your theme on your desktop, click the Setting gear icon at the top right of the search page.
Move to Appearance and select any available modes – dark mode, light mode, or device default. You can choose the device default to match other theme settings.
On mobile, click the three strokes at the top left of the search page and click Dark theme to change the theme.
6. Perform Mathematical Operation in Your Search Box
Google makes it easy to perform basic equations without needing a calculator. For example, if you input 24*7, 586+345, 36/7, or any mathematical equation, a calculator below the bar displays the already-filled answer.
Alternatively, you can type calculator in the search box to perform your equation directly in the calculator tool.
7. Including Your Answer in the Search
It’s wrong to predict an answer while searching. Why? There is a probability that you get results according to your prediction, and that might need to be corrected.
For example, it is better to search “How many years did Barrack Obama serve as the President of America?” rather than “Did Barrack Obama serve as the President for four years?” You might see results showing four years of service. But is that the correct answer?
8. People Also Ask
The rate of reading articles to get answers to questions is declining. People no longer want to waste time accessing a piece of information.
Google discovered this change and opted for a new strategy to meet its users’ needs.
The People Also Ask feature makes it easy to get answers to questions with a definite answer or definition. Most importantly, this feature limits the stress of searching for the same articles that have the answers to your searches.
9. Search by Voice
Have you tried to search, and you are stuck with the spelling? Or the search result keeps displaying a result different from your intention because of wrong spelling.
For example, some alphabets are silent in some words, like “p” in pneumonia, “b” in subtle, “d” in edge, and more.
Sadly, this limitation might affect your search. However, the search-by-voice feature allows you to speak your search term instead of typing.
To access this feature:
1. Click the microphone icon at the top of the page.
2. A confirmation box appears requesting your permission to allow or block the use of the microphone.
3. Click Allow to use this feature immediately.
This process works both on desktop and mobile.
10. Make Conversions with Google
Google can convert anything. From Celsius to Fahrenheit, from bitcoin to dollars, from euros to pounds, and much more. Also, you can find the present currency conversion rates without needing an official conversion website.
11. Check the Time of Several Locations
Why not use Google to calculate the time difference between cities rather than straining yourself?
It’s a simple process! Type time [any location], where [any location] may be the name of a nation, city, or ZIP code.
You can also check the time difference between the two locations. Just type the time difference between (location one) and (location two), and you will get your result immediately.
12. You can Play Games
You can search for a variety of Google’s built-in games and tools, such as Pac-Man (Opens in a new window), tic tac toe, Solitaire, Minesweeper, and Snake.
Other built-in games include bubble level, breathing exercise, metronome, colour picker, and breathing exercise. You can ask Google to flip a coin, and it will do the same with a die or spinner.
13. You Can Create Google Alerts
Sometimes a keyword you are searching for is off the web. You can create a Google Alert to get notified when such keywords are published online.
To create a Google alert, visit google.com/alerts. Fill the search box with the keyword you want to create an alert about.
Click show options to refine your search result by how often you should be notified, the sources, language, region, and how many results you want.
Then click create an alert.
14. Search by Image
Gone are the days when we were limited to doing searches by text alone. With the search-by-image feature, you can drag an image or upload an image file to search.
To access this feature, click the camera icon at the top of the search page. A new page pops up displaying Search for any image with Google lens.
You can drag an image, upload an image file from your file folder, or paste the link. After uploading your image, following any of the options, click Search.
15. Final Words
There is a feature you desire Google to include as one of their search features.
Your voice can be heard!
Share your desired feature(s) and its benefit(s) in the comment session. Sundar Pichai can read your comment and add that feature.
Don’t wait till tomorrow – do it now!
