Tips For Using Google Search Engine

Picture from Kansas Bob's blog

I discovered this post about Google search tips last year. I found it really helpful especially since at that time I had to find sources for my research paper without using Wikipedia. 

SYMBOLS 

1. The plus sign +

 -similar to the word "and", it forces the inclusion of that word in the search results.

Example: Pizza +pie (note that there is no space between the intended key word and the symbol)

The search result can include "pizza" or any word similar to that and will include the exact word "pie".

2. The minus sign -

-similar to the phrase "and not", it forces the exclusion of that word in the search results

Example: Pizza -pie

The search result can include "pizza" or any word similar to that "pizza" but exclude the word "pie"

3. |

-this can be used to replace "or"

Example: Prelel tumblr|blogspot

The search result will be any word similar to "Prelel" and either tumblr or blogspot but not both tumblr and blogspot

4. Quotation marks " "

-this is used to search for exact phrases

Example: "Buko cream pie"

The search result will include any result with the exact same phrase in that arrangement

5. ~

-this is used to include the synonyms of the chosen word

Example: Buko ~cream pie

Search results can replace cream with synonyms of cream.

6. *

-this is used to include the exact phrase mentioned but the asterisk can be replaced with any word

Example: "Buko cream *"

This will include the exact phrase "Buko cream" but followed by any other word

7. ..

-this is used to find ranges of numbers

Example: "She eats 2..20 apples a day"

Results will replace the "2..20" with any number in the range.

Find out more on Mapelli and How to Geek