Last updated on 19th October, 2022
Among its various competitors, Google Search is the best. It looks for and locates relevant information from across the internet, archives it, and then displays it to users in seconds regardless of location. The problem is that most users are unaware of Google Search’s potential. Most people do not know how to utilize a search engine to accomplish their searches. In this post, we’ll show you how to employ better approaches and tactics in your Google searches to get exactly what you’re looking for.
1. Use an OR in your search
With Google, you can perform a search on two different things at the same time but unless you specify, Google will use all of the terms in your search criteria. By including a capitalized OR between your phrases, Google understands that it can search for one set of keywords or the other. Failing to include a capitalized OR would make Google believe it’s merely a component of your phrase.
How you should type your query in the search box : [keyword 1] OR [keyword 2]
For Instance: Shawarma and Pizza — shows all results where keywords Shawarma and Pizza come together.
and : Shawarma OR Pizza — shows all results with either keyword Shawarma OR Pizza.
2. Set Time Restraints
Lets say you’re only interested in the most recent news on a subject or seeking to discover material relevant to a certain time frame? What you have to do is to filter your search results using Google’s search tools.
Click Tools under the magnifying glass icon.
On your smart phone or tablet, just swipe to the bottom of the list of Google search types and tap on Search tools.
Click Any time to display a drop-down menu that allows you to limit down results to the previous hour, 24 hours, week, month, and year. Desktop users can input specific dates by selecting Custom range.
3. Google Search Dark Mode
For a while now Google has launched its own dark mode option, which allows you to make your search results black. On a desktop computer, on your search results page, click the Settings button on the top right and choose Dark Theme under Appearance. On Google.com, you may alternatively go to Settings and pick Search Settings then Appearance then Dark theme. You can also select Device default to make it match the rest of your devices’ theme settings.
4. Search and locate a particular file type
Here’s another tip that could help you save time. If you’re looking for a spreadsheet, PDF, or another document, start your search with filetype:. For example, if you want PDFs, use filetype:pdf along with your term in the search.
Google will restrict your search to that particular file type
for example
To pimp a Butterfly: Mp3
Journey to the West: PDF
5. Search by image
Usually we find information on google search using keywords, but its not always that words would provide the exact thing that we’re looking for. There may be instances when you require a different size or a higher resolution version of an image you already have on your computer or saw on a website. Google image search is the best tool for this kind of search.
Google reverse image search
On most browsers, Google supports “backward” image searches. This tool lets you upload an image file and search for information about it. For instance, if you submit a photograph of the Mona Lisa, Google will identify the image and provide you with information on the Famous Painting. It can also recognize all kinds of images and lead you to websites where the image resides, it can also present to you, images that look similar to the one you uploaded.
Simply drag and drop a picture into the search bar on Google Images.
If you’re using a web browser other than Chrome or want to search for an image on your local drive, go to Google Images where you’ll see a camera symbol, click it.
and you will be given an options to enter an image URL or upload image from your Device.
After an image is uploaded. There are options to Find image source and also present are similar images with links to their website of origin.
6. Advanced Search
Google’s Advanced Search provides a plethora of search results. Go to the Advanced Search page to search for specific terms, exact words or phrases. You can then proceed to refine your search by language, location, history, recent update, and other various factors.
Conducting a standard Google search is understood by many. However, experienced and professional researchers prefer to utilize Google’s advanced search tool, which allows you to customize your results. Websites with specific words, phrases, numbers, languages, and places, among other factors, can be found.
During your initial search, look for Advanced Search by clicking Settings just below and to the right of the primary text field. There will be several search results.
With Google Advanced Search you can filter your searches in a wide range of ways there.
And if you encounter difficulties in locating something on a certain website due to a lack of a search function, you can search by site or domain in Google’s Advanced Search. Media by image size or aspect ratio, usage rights, site or color.
I highly recommend you bookmark the Google Advanced Search page
7. Google Voice Search
You can use your device’s microphone to speak into your search bar instead of typing words. This works flawlessly especially on mobile phones and tablets.
All you have to do is to click on the microphone icon on the right side of the search bar. Then you speak when google signals you that it’s Listening
8. Google Translate
Google translate is a multilingual translation tool created by Google that allows users to translate text, documents, and websites from one language to another. Google Translate currently supports up to 133 languages at various levels around the world.
Translate Website
Important: Not all regions enable this functionality.
Go to Google Translate in your browser.
Click Websites at the top.
Setting the original language to “Detect language” is encouraged.
Enter a URL in the “Website” field.
Click the Go Translate button.
Translate documents
Documents up to 10 MB in size can be translated in any of the following formats: .docx, .pdf, .pptx, .xlsx. PDF files must be no more than 300 pages long.
PDF files must be no more than 300 pages long.
These are the Steps Involved
- Go to Google Translate in your browser.
- Click Documents at the top.
- Select the languages to be translated to and from.
- Click Detect language to automatically set the original language of a document.
- Select Browse my computer.
- Choose the file to be translated.
- Then Click Translate and wait for the document to complete translating.
- To get your translated document, click Download translation.
For Android, iPhone and iPad users, google translate is available on the Chrome Browser and also Play Store & Apple App Store for download.
9. Google Scholar
Google Scholar is the ultimate all-purpose search engine for all academic purposes. Google.com is not your ideal search engine for tertiary (polytechnic / college /university) assignments and research. Instead, go to scholar.google.com.
Google Scholar makes it simple to search for scholarly literature. You can search across various disciplines and sources from a Google Scholar, including articles, theses, books, abstracts, and court judgments from academic publishers, professional associations, online archives, institutions, and other websites. Google Scholar searches a worldwide range of scholarly study to locate related content.
NB: To locate downloadable files, try adding “PDF.”
10. The Google Public Data Explorer
The Google Public Data Explorer makes it simple to explore, visualize, and communicate large datasets of public interest. The current changes in the world becomes clearer as the charts and maps animate over time. It is not necessary to be a data specialist to browse between diverse perspectives, make your own comparisons, and share your discoveries.
Students, journalists, policymakers, and others can use the tool to build visualizations of publicly available data, link to them, or embed them in their own websites. Embedded charts and links can refresh and update automatically, ensuring that you’re always presenting the most up-to-date information.
