While you probably use it every day, you almost certainly don’t get the most out of Google’s search engine. We bring you an overview of ten ways to use Google search engine to get the best search results possible.
1. Discover how the Google search engine works
Google’s How Search Works blog offers plenty of information about the possibilities that search offers that you probably don’t know about. They are available in text and video format.
2. Narrow your search
The Google search engine can find the exact term you are looking for if you include additional parameters in the search, ie put the query in quotation marks. For example, if you are looking for a website where the best hiking shoes are discussed the query might look like this, writes Make Use Of.
best ‘hiking’ shoes
This will tell Google that you are only interested in sites that mention the word hiking.
3. Use the advanced search
The Advanced Search option will offer you more control over queries and search results. To get to it, click the gear icon on the top right corner of the search results page, then click Advanced search.
Using it, you can access, for example, pages in a specific language, websites with a specific domain, or documents written during the past month or year.
4. Describe what you are looking for
Don’t know the name of something you’re looking for or can’t remember it? Try to describe what you are looking for. There will probably be something in the vast ocean of websites that at least roughly matches your description.
5. Be precise
The more accurate your query, the better the chances that a Google search engine will find what you need. This also applies to descriptive searches.
For example, if you come across a flag that you do not recognize, it is better to type in the search engine Which flag has a red background and a white cross? instead, Which flag is red and white?
6. Search in different ways
If you can’t find something using some queries, try others. Use synonyms or other descriptions.
For example, instead of flags with a blue background and a yellow cross, you can enter flags with yellow crosses to get what you want.
7. Eliminate unwanted search results
When for any reason you don’t want to see certain words or phrases in search results, use minus (-). If you add it to an unwanted phrase, Google will omit all search results that contain it.
For example, if you know that the flag you are looking for is not that of the United Kingdom, you can enter a flag with a white cross – the United Kingdom – in the search engine.
8. Try visual search results
It is often easier to recognize something visually than textually. You can click the Images or Videos tabs to get visuals as the results of your search, and you can also initiate a search by inserting an image into a search engine.
There’s also Google Lens, an option that allows you to use a search engine to recognize objects in the real world. Open the Google app for Android or iOS and tap the camera thumbnail to activate it.
9. Check the authenticity of the source
Google’s search engine has a built-in tool that lets you learn more about websites you don’t know well.
When viewing the search results, you will notice a three-dot thumbnail next to the title. If you click it, the About this result panel will appear.
Here you will find contextual details about why Google shows you this particular website and offer more information about it.
10. Control your search history
The Google app has a special button to clear the last 15 minutes of your stored search history, and in the Web & App Activity panel you can get an insight into the websites you’ve visited and your searches.
In the same place, you can activate the automatic deletion of search history and delete it manually (in whole or in part).
