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20 Google Search Tips to Use Google More Efficiently

20 Google Search Tips to Use Google More Efficiently

Millions of people use Google search every day for a variety of reasons. Students use it for school, business people use it for research, and millions more use it for entertainment. But most people may not be using Google search to its full potential.

Want to use Google search more efficiently and get the search results you want quickly? Here are 20 Google search tips and tricks to maximize your search efficiency:

1. Use the tabs

The first tip is to use the tabs in Google search. On the top of every search are a number of tabs. Usually you’ll see Web, Image, News, and More. Using these tabs, you can help define what kind of search you need to do.

f you need images, use the Image tab. If you are looking for a recent news article, use the News tab.

It’s rudimentary and most people use the tabs already. If you are not, then it’s highly recommended to get associated with them. They can cut search times dramatically if utilized properly.

2. Use quotes

When searching for something specific, try using quotes to minimize the guesswork for Google search. When you put your search parameters in quotes, it tells the search engine to search for the whole phrase.

For instance, if you search for Puppy Dog Sweaters, the engine will search for content that contains those three words in any order.

However, if you search “Puppy Dog Sweaters”, it will search for that phrase exactly as you typed it. This can help locate specific information that may be buried under other content if not sorted out correctly.

3. Use a hyphen to exclude words

Sometimes you may find yourself searching for a word with an ambiguous meaning. An example is Mustang. When you Google search for Mustang, you may get results for both the car made by Ford or the horse. If you want to cut one out, use the hyphen to tell the engine to ignore content with one of the other. See the example below.

  • Mustang -cars

This tells the search engine to search for mustangs but to remove any results that have the word “car” in it. It can be wildly helpful when finding information about something without getting information about something else.

4. Use a colon to search specific sites

There may be an instance where you need to Google search for articles or content on a certain website. The syntax is very simple and we’ll show you below.

  • Sidney Crosby site:nhl.com

This will search for all content about famous hockey player Sidney Crosby, but only on NHL.com. All other search results will be removed. If you need to find specific content on a particular site, this is the shortcut you can use.

5. Find a page that links to another page

This Google search tip is a little obscure. Instead of searching for a specific page, you’re searching for a page that links to a specific page.

Think about it this way. If you want to see who cited a New York Times article on their site, you would use this trick to find all the sites that link to it. The syntax is below:

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  • link:nytimes.com

That will return all pages that link to the New York Times official website. The URL on the right side can be practically anything.

Be aware, though, that the more specific it is, the fewer results you’ll get. We know not a lot of people will likely use this Google search trick, but it could be very useful for some.

6. Use the asterisk wildcard

The asterisk wildcard is one of the most useful ones on the list. Here’s how it works.

When you use an asterisk in a search term on Google search, it will leave a placeholder that may be automatically filled by the search engine later. This is a brilliant way to find song lyrics if you don’t know all the words. Let’s look at the syntax:

  • “Come * right now * me”

To you or me, that may look like nonsense. However, Google search will search for that phrase knowing that the asterisks can be any word.

More often than not, you’ll find they are lyrics to The Beatles song “Come Together” and that’s what the search will tell you.

7. Find sites that are similar to other sites

This is a unique one that could be used by practically everyone if they knew it existed.

Let’s say you have a favorite website. It can be anything. However, that website is getting a little bit boring and you want to find other websites like it. You would use this trick. Below is the syntax:

  • related:amazon.com

If you search that above, you won’t find a link to Amazon. Instead, you’ll find links to online stores like Amazon. Sites like Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, and others that sell physical items online. It’s a powerful Google search tool that can help you find new sites to browse.

8. Use Google search to do math

Google search can actually do math for you. This is a rather complex one to describe because it can be used in so many ways. You can ask it basic questions or some more difficult ones.

It is important to note that it won’t solve all math problems, but it will solve a good number of them. Here are a couple of examples of the syntax:

  • 8 * 5 + 5
  • Planck’s Consant

If you search the first one, it’ll return 45. It will also show a calculator that you can use to find answers to more questions.

This is handy if you need to do some quick math but don’t want to do it in your head. If you search the second term, it will return the number value of Planck’s Constant.

So it can do math, but it can also help you solve math problems by showing values for known mathematical terms.

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9. Search for multiple words at once

Google search is flexible. It knows you may not find what you want by searching only a single word or phrase. Thus, it lets you search for multiples.

By using this trick, you can search for one word or phrase along with a second word or phrase. This can help narrow down your search to help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Here is the syntax:

  • “Best ways to prepare for a job interview” OR “How to prepare for a job interview”

By searching that, you will search both phrases. Remember the quotes tip above? It’s being used here as well. In this instance, these two exact phrases will be searched. It can be done by word too, like the example below:

  • chocolate OR white chocolate

This will search for pages that have either chocolate or white chocolate!

10. Search a range of numbers

Searching for a range of numbers is another tip we don’t anticipate a lot of people using. The people that do use it, though, will probably use it quite a bit.

People interested in money or statistics will find this tip particularly useful. Essentially, you use two dots and a number to let Google search know you’re looking for a specific range of numbers. Like the syntax below:

  • What teams have won the Stanley Cup ..2004
  • 41..43

In the first instance, the search will toss back the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2004. The two dots with only one number will tell the search that you don’t need anything before or after 2004. This can help narrow down searches to a specific number to improve search results.

In the second, Google will search for the numbers 41, 42, and 43. It is obscure, but wildly useful if you happen to need to search for numbers like this.

11. Keep it simple

Now we’re getting into the general tips. Google search knows how to search for a lot of things. What this means is you don’t need to be too specific. If you need a pizza place nearby, use this to search.

  • Pizza places nearby

Google search will grab your location and deliver a variety of results about pizza places that are near you.

12. Gradually add search terms

There will come a time when Google search doesn’t shovel out the results you expect. In this instance, keeping it simple may not be the best option.

As Google itself suggests, the best method is to start with something simple then gradually get more complicated. See the example below:

  • First try: job interviews
  • Second try: prepare for job interviews
  • Third try: how to prepare for a job interview

This will gradually refine the search to bring you fewer, more targeted terms. The reason you don’t go straight from the first try to the third try is because you may miss what you’re looking for by skipping the second step.

Millions of websites phrase the same information in a number of different ways; using this technique lets you search as many of them as possible to find the best info.

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13. Use words that websites would use

This is a very important one. When people use Google search to hunt the web, they generally search for things using the same language that they would use for speaking.

Unfortunately, websites don’t say things the way people do; instead, they try to use language that sounds professional. Let’s look at some examples:

  • “I have a flat tire” could be replaced by “repair a flat tire.”
  • “My head hurts” could be replaced by “headache relief.”

The list goes on and on. When searching, try to use terminology you would find on a professional website. This will help you get more reliable results.

14. Use important words only

The way Google search works is to take what you search for and match it with keywords in online content.

When you search for too many words, it may limit your results. That means it may actually take you longer to find what you’re looking for. Thus, it is apropos to use only the important words when searching for something. Let’s see an example:

  • Don’t use: Where can I find a Chinese restaurant that delivers.
  • Instead try: Chinese restaurants nearby.
  • Or: Chinese restaurants near me.

Doing this can help Google find what you need without all the clutter. So remember, keep it simple and use important words only.

15. Google search has shortcuts

A number of commands can be entered to give you instantaneous results.

Like the math example above, Google can immediately give you the information you need that is displayed right at the top of the search results. This can save time and effort so you don’t have to click a bunch of bothersome links.

Here are a few examples of some commands you can enter into Google:

  • Weather *zip code* – This will show you the weather in the given zip code. You can also use town and city names instead of area codes, but it may not be as accurate if there are multiple area codes in the city.
  • What is *celebrity name* Bacon Number – This is a fun little one that will tell you how many connections any given celebrity has to famed actor Kevin Bacon. The popular joke, Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, is that no actor is more than 6 connections away from Kevin Bacon. Mark Zuckerberg has a Bacon Number of 3.
  • The math example posted above is another one.
  • What is the definition of *word* or Define: *word* – This will display the definition of a word.
  • Time *place* – This will display the time in whatever place you type in.
  • You can check any stock by typing its ticker name into Google. If you search for GOOG, it will check the stock prices for Google.

These quick commands can take a web search that is usually multiple clicks and condense it into a single search. This is very helpful for information you need repeatedly.

16. Spelling doesn’t necessarily matter

Google search has gotten a lot smarter over the years. These days, you don’t even need to spell words correctly.

As long as it’s pretty close, Google can usually figure out what it means. Here are some examples:

  • If you search “Nver Gna Gve Yo Up” Google will automatically assume you mean to search for “Never Gonna Give You Up.” If by chance your misspelling was intentional, Google gives you the option to search for the misspelled term instead.

This trick is great if you happen to forget how to spell something or are not altogether sure how something is spelled.

It can also be helpful when searching for obscure words. This applies to capitalization and grammar as well.

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17. Use descriptive words

Pretty much everything can be described in multiple ways. Take our namesake, the “life hack.” The terminology “hack” refers to a computer programmer breaking security on a network or system. However, when used in conjunction with the word “life”, it alters the meaning to tips and tricks people can use to improve their lives.

If you have trouble finding what you’re searching for, keep in mind that people may search or define what you need in a different way than you do.

  • You may search “How to install drivers in Ubunut?”
  • When you really mean “Troubleshoot driver problems Ubuntu.”

There really isn’t a good specific example for this one. If you search for something and you can’t find an answer, try asking the same question using different words and see if that helps the results.

18. Find a specific file

An often forgotten feature of Google search is the ability to search for a specific file or file type. This can be infinitely useful if you need a specific PDF or PowerPoint file that you previously viewed or need to use for another project. The syntax is quite simple:

  • *Search term here* filetype:pdf

In the above example, you simply replace the search term with whatever you’re searching for. Then use the filetype command and enter the extension of any file type you can think of.

This can mostly be useful for scholarly purposes, but business presentations and other assorted presentations can benefit from this kind of search as well.

19. Money and unit conversions

Google search can quickly and accurately convert both measurement units and currency value. There are a variety of uses for this, like checking to see the conversion rate between two currencies.

If you happen to be a math student, you can use it to convert from feet to meters or from ounces to liters. Here’s how to do it:

  • miles to km – This will convert miles to kilometers. You can put numbers in front to convert a certain number. Like “10 miles to km” will show you how many kilometers are in 10 miles.
  • USD to British Pound Sterling – This will convert a US dollar to British pounds. Like the measurements above, you can add numbers to find exact conversions for a certain amount of money.

It’s true that this tip is geared toward math students and international business people. However, you’d be surprised how often these tips are used by regular people.

20. Track your packages

Our last trick is to use Google search to find out where your packages are. You can enter any UPS, USPS, or Fedex tracking number directly into the Google search bar, and it’ll show you the tracking information about your package.

This is much easier than going to the specific sites, waiting for them to load, then searching for your packages there.

No examples are really needed for this one. Just type your tracking number in and see where your package is.

Final thoughts

Google search is a very powerful search tool. Using the tips outlined above, you can find anything and everything you could ever need on the World Wide Web.

Whether it’s avoiding Wikipedia for a school essay project, finding the latest stock prices, or even finding song lyrics, there is a way to make Google search work for you.

Featured photo credit: Unsplash via unsplash.com

More by this author

Joseph Hindy

A writer, editor, and YouTuber who likes to share about technology and lifestyle tips.

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Last Updated on August 27, 2019

15 Organization Apps to Boost Your Personal Productivity

15 Organization Apps to Boost Your Personal Productivity

Productivity is something that we all desire to achieve. Whether it is being able to manage time better or remembering the plethora of things that need to be done, we all would like to be much better at keeping our lives organized.

Sadly, however, this isn’t always the case. Life is dynamic, and if you are unable to keep up with its dynamic nature, you could lose track of time and fall behind.

Well, that is why technology is here. Just as it is with every other thing, tech can help improve productivity and keep efficiency levels high as well. With certain productivity-boosting app, life will be more organized, and you will be able to enhance your effectiveness exponentially.

The purpose of this article is to help keep you updated on the organization apps, and to explain how they can help you boost productivity. The following apps are readily available on marketplaces, and I’ve grouped them with their compatible mobile operating systems, so you know whether or not you will be able to get your hands on one or not.

All you have to do is check out your app store, search for it, and you’re ready to become productive!

1. Any.do

    If you are the type of person who gets so busy that you can easily forget to get some daily chores done, then Any.do is a great tool for you without a doubt. The app provides a to-do list, notes, and reminders to keep you conscious of everything that needs to be done.

    In addition to that, you can share your lists with others, and assign tasks to them as well. The app provides sync abilities between web, desktop, and mobile platforms, so you get to update your lists in real time. The voice entry feature it provides will let you add items by simply speaking, so there is less stress on you as well.

    Available on iOS and Android

    2. Todoist

      Todoist is another amazing planner and to do list app. It’s a multi-platform planner app that provides a gimmick-free, clean approach to task management and interfacing. The language engine on this app makes it easy to transform a simple written thought into a recurring task or a one off.

      You can set priority levels by categorizing tasks with colors. You also have access to shared projects and productivity graphs that will help you keep track of the progress you make as time goes on.

      If you are looking to get things done easily, this is a great companion for sure.

      Available on iOS and Android

      3. Cloze

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        Sometimes, it gets incredibly difficult to keep track of all your business contacts. This is exactly why you need help from a great contacts manager.

        Well, say hello to Cloze. The app provides an all-in-one network of your contacts, while providing social network capabilities and an email command center. Cloze syncs all the details about your contacts from social networks and your email, so you always stay up to date with these people.

        The app also provides a command center for social networks, allowing you to tweet, update your status, and much more.

        Available on iOS and Android

        4. Memento

          If you use iPhone and will like to switch up the way your reminders look, then check this app out. Memento provides a choice between a traditional view of your upcoming tasks, as well as a grid look that is much more aesthetically pleasing.

          Memento also appears as a widget, and it comes with a For You tab that provides a glance of your most important reminders.

          Available on iOS only

          5. Just Press Record

            Just Press Record is a versatile recording app that comes with features such as transcription (for taking notes much easier). With the app, users will be able to record from along press on the app, the lock screen, or even the notification widget.

            Just Press Record is only available for iOS devices, and there is also an app on the Apple Watch that helps make usage easier. Recordings are stored according to time and date, and they can be renamed manually as well.

            Recordings also sync to iCloud, and you can share them.

            Available on iOS only

            6. Otter Voice Notes

              If you don’t use an iOS device and you will like to access the features of Just Press Record, then Otter Voice Notes is what you need. It is also a transcription app, although it is capable of making recordings through a Bluetooth device as well.

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              Essentially, you can speak to your phone about what you need to get done, and you can make important notes as well.

              With this app, you can edit transcripts to fix any errors you make, and all transcripts can be exported to text form to other apps.

              Available on iOS and Android

              7. CamScanner

                In the world of productivity apps, there are truly only a few that can hold a candle close to CamScanner. Essentially, this beauty of an app turns the camera of your phone into a portable document scanner and OCR tool, thereby providing you with the ability to convert photos of your paper documents into PDF or JPD formats.

                From there, you can save these files on your mobile phone or save them to a cloud storage device to share with others. With smart cropping and scan quality optimization, you get to handle everything and turn it into an electronic document.

                Available on iOS and Android

                8. 24me

                  With 24me, you get an amazing virtual assistant app that helps you keep your hectic day organized. It provides note functionality, as well as features such as a to-do list and a calendar. The calendar syncs with several other calendar services (such as Outlook, iCal, Google Calendar, and more), so you achieve easy compatibility.

                  Moving on, 24me also provides smart notifications such as a reminder for events and tasks that you have for the next day, the right time to get on the road for your next meeting (based on the prevalent traffic conditions), and even weather alerts.

                  With voice control, you can set appointments and take notes in a breeze. You can also use external devices (such as Siri, Alexa, and more) to set tasks with it.

                  Available on iOS and Android

                  9. Toggl

                    Toggl is a great time tracker that helps with keeping track of time, whether for a single user or a group. With this app, you can start, stop, and log times and tasks on your mobile phone or computer with data syncing on two platforms. This makes it easy to record ours that you spend on tasks and projects.

                    Toggl also comes with tools that help you bulk edit, tag, and organize entries for proper reviewing and reporting, and you can also import and export data in CSV and PDF formats.

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                    Available on iOS and Android

                    10. Pocket

                      If you are the type of person who loves reading books, then there is a high probability that you have spent quite a lot of time reading an interesting article when you should have been doing something more important.

                      Don’t feel bad. We have all been there. However, if you get Pocket, then this issue could be solved. Essentially the rebranded version of the Read It Later service, Pocket is an awesome offline reading tool that allows you to select and save articles, videos, and pictures and to view them later.

                      With it, you get to keep all the interesting stuff you want to read and focus on doing the most important things now.

                      Available on iOS and Android

                      11. Evernote

                        Evernote is one of the most popular cross-platform note-taking services available on the market. With the app, users will be able to take and upload notes, audios,, pictures, and videos, then organize them into notebooks that can be shared across several devices.

                        Evernote comes with several powerful tools, and it provides awesome organization, sharing, and formatting options. While a lot of apps have entered into the field of taking notes, Evernote has been able to hold its prominence so far.

                        Available on iOS and Android

                        12. Franz

                          With Franz, you can centralize all different instant messages channels including Whatsapp, Facebook message, Skype, Telegram and many more in one place. Managing multiple communication channels and notifications becomes a lot easier.

                          You can sign in Franz in whatever device you want and the messages will sync up across different devices.

                          Available for Windows, Mac and Linux

                          13. Trello

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                            Trello is a customizable digital bulletin board that helps you to organize a to-do list, mark tasks and make notes.

                            With Trello, you can create lists, which are dynamic containers that can be filed with cards. All of these can vary, from notes, tasks, thoughts, pictures, and more. All you have to do is drag stuff and drop them up and down the line, and you can move them to other lists

                            You can share these thoughts and tasks with other users. You can also make new cards, add comments, and assign tasks.

                            Available on iOS and Android

                            14. LastPass

                              The moment you get your hands on LastPass, you will never have to waste time futzing with your passwords and logins again. The app is a vault for passwords, and it also works as a browser and a strong password generator in a single app.

                              The app provides users with the ability to sync their password vaults, and have the app browser fill in forms and other login details when they surf the web, whether through Chrome or Safari. You can also generate new passwords, add or update your list. In addition to that, the app provides secure notes for those important pieces of information.

                              Available on iOS and Android

                              15. Dropbox

                                Dropbox has actually been on the marketplace for years, but there is absolutely nothing that can underestimate the significance of this platform. Thanks to Dropbox, cloud storage is what it is today. The app provides a go to solution for a lot of people who would like to store files and share them seamlessly.

                                Primarily, Dropbox is an online storage locker that keeps files, pictures, documents, videos, and more so that you can access them anywhere (and also download if you want to aces them while offline). The app can also be used for file sharing and collaboration.

                                Available on iOS and Android

                                Bottom Line

                                So, there you have it — 15 organization apps that can help you organize your life better and boost your productivity.

                                Productivity is easy to achieve, and if you have access to the best tools, getting it done will be a breeze for you. These will surely get you started. Just look for them, get yourself acquainted, and you’re ready.

                                More Productivity Tools

                                Featured photo credit: freestocks.org via unsplash.com

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