Google is the most popular search engine in the world, and for good reason. It has a ton of features that can help you find what you’re looking for quickly and easily. However, many people don’t take advantage of all of these features, which can lead to them not getting the results they’re looking for. In this blog post, you’ll learn about some of the best and most under-appreciated features of Google search!
Google is one of the most powerfully built pieces of technology in the world. It is a search engine, which means that it takes an input (a query) and produces an output (the results page). Google crawls through billions of webpages and indexes them, so that when a user types in a query, Google can search through its index to find the most relevant results.
The amount of data and the search abilities of Google are both immense. But do you sometimes find you’re not getting the results you’re looking for when you type in a search term? Here are some of the features of Google that you might not be aware of, and some tips of some ways you can get better search results.
Autocomplete
One of Google’s most useful but least known features is Autocomplete. As you start typing a query into the search bar, Google will suggest related queries and phrases that you can choose from. This feature is incredibly useful if you’re not sure what keywords to use or if you’re looking for something specific. It can also be helpful if you only know part of the phrase you want to search for, such as part of a person’s name. If you can’t see autocomplete options, make sure that you have this particular setting switched on in your settings menu.
Advanced Search
Another great feature is Google’s Advanced Search. This allows you to narrow down your search results by including more specific criteria. For example, you can limit the results to a certain language, site, file type, or region. This is especially handy if you’re looking for something and there are too many results for a basic search.
Google Images
Google Images is a great way to find relevant images quickly and easily. You can search by keyword, image size, color, type (e.g. clipart, line drawing), and even usage rights. This is great for when you need to find a specific picture or get some ideas for designing something. You can also upload an image to Google Images to find out information about that image. For example, you might have a photo of a location or a person, but you don’t know where or who it is. Google Images can scan the images and show you similar images that have more details about them.
Search For Other Databases
It’s worth remembering that Google cannot crawl the data on every single website out there. Some websites have their own standalone databases that cannot be searched by Google itself. So if you’re not getting the results you need, try changing your search on Google to look for databases that might be able to help you. For example, if you’re searching for someone who is an inmate, look for inmate search options instead. You’ll then come up with some database driven websites where you can search for what you need. Google is also extremely powerful at finding other databases that might suit your needs.
Using Quote Marks
An often-forgotten tip is to use quote marks when you’re searching for something specific. If you type in your query without quotes, Google will search for any page that includes all the words in the query. But if you put the phrase or sentence inside quotation marks, Google will only search for that exact phrase or sentence. This is especially useful when you’re looking for an exact title, name or phrase.
Other Punctuation For Search
In addition to quotation marks, you can use other punctuation in your queries too. For example, the plus (+) and minus (-) signs can be used to include and exclude words from the query. If you type +microsoft, Google will only show results that include that word. Similarly, if you type -microsoft, Google will exclude any results that include the word “Microsoft”.
Google Scholar
If you’re a student or researcher, Google Scholar is an invaluable resource. It allows you to search for scholarly literature such as academic articles, books, and theses. You can then filter the results by date, type of publication, author, and more. It also allows you to search for citations and related articles, so you can quickly find the information you need. This is an important function of Google if you’re looking for credible sources to include in papers or articles you write.
Google Alerts
Google Alerts is a great tool for keeping track of topics you’re interested in. It will email you whenever new content related to your search query is published. You can set up alerts for anything from news and blog posts to videos and webpages. This is great if you want to stay up to date with a particular topic or industry.
Google Maps
Another great feature of Google is its mapping capabilities. With Google Maps you can easily find directions to any address, search for businesses and restaurants, or even plan a vacation. You can also use it to create maps with pins and labels to share with others, which can be a great way to show off your travels or plan something out. If you’re looking for a very specific location, you can even search for locations by latitude and longitude, which can be helpful for finding hidden gems.
These are just some of the great features Google provides. With a little bit of digging, you can find even more uses for this powerful search engine. Whether you’re doing research, planning a vacation, or just browsing the web, Google can help you find the information you need. Give it a try and see what amazing things you can discover.