10 Tips to Quick Searching on Google

If your anything like myself or most the people I work with, then you will probably use Google multiple times in any given day. However, unless you are some kind of geek there will be certain tricks you will have missed that could vastly speed up your search for information … and also prevent you typing 20 searches to get what you want.

So to help you out I’ve decided to make a Top 10 list of Google Tricks – now these are from my own experience the most useful, but there are many many more of this kind of thing floating around.

Exact Phrases – if your looking for an exact term or phrase simply put quotation marks around the phrase your searching for. (eg. “i’m searching for this”)

Exclude a Word or Phrase – now if your searching for something but really don’t want a certain word or phrase to turn up, simply place a – just before the word or phrase without a space. (eg. i want to search -this)

Search Similar Terms – if you have an exact phrase but you want to find something similar then search the term with a ~ just before it (eg. ~professional)

Site Specific Search – we all know that on site searches can be a little tricky so let google do it use site: http://example.com search term to search a site for something specific.

Search for a Document – by adding filetype:ppt you are asking google to search for a powerpoint presentation … (eg. “professional chef” filetype:ppt) other examples are doc & xls for word documents and excel sheets respectively.

Get a Definition – want to look up a word but can’t be bothered loading some software or going to find a dictionary site? simply enter define: aword and google will grab you a definition (usually from princeton).

Calculate This – stuck on a maths question? let google do the hard work for you as a calculator (eg. 2854 * 150)

Get the Latest Stock Pricing – check stocks by entering the ticker symbol (eg. GOOG )

This OR That? – want to find something or something else but not both? simply enter OR between the two terms. (eg searching google OR searching bing)

Get a Local Time – Google knows the time in every country simple enter “time in xyz” where xyz is a country (eg. time in Hong Kong)

May these lovely tips and tricks help you search that little bit faster