Billions of people are using Google search services everyday but not all of them know how to harness Google search algorithm to suit there queries and some even end up wasting time in some seamy sites. As educators you should never be one of these people who just type in a couple of words in its search bar and hit “ i am lucky” to start sifting through results which can sometimes be completely irrelevant. This is a cyber age , time counts so much and we have other things to do instead of just sitting in front of a computer for hours searching terms in such a broad way that even Google robot gets mad at. Believe it or not , Google robot can know the type of person you are and how smart you are just from the keywords of your search query and if he realizes that the searcher is stupid then he would automatically provide stupid results , this is just as simple as this. Search robots do not read our intentions but analyze what we offer them. There are thousands of WebPages related to your search terms and unless you know exactly what to target in your query than expect the worse.
Today i am introducing you to the best Google search tips that you need to be aware of in order to conduct relevant searches. All the tips mentioned here are included in Google Inside Search.
The Basics
Spell Checker
If you want to search using terms that you are not sure how they are spelt then don’t fret over this , Google spell checker automatically corrects your spelling.
Use unique words
The more unique your words are the more specific your results will be for example celebrity ringtones’ is better than ‘celebrity sounds’
Cases
when you type in a term do not worry about cases because search is not case sensitive therefore ‘time magazine’ is the same as ‘Time Magazine’
Web History
Web history is a webpage where all your previous searches are collected you can access this page and have a look at all the search queries you have conducted anytime. Just log on to www.google.com/history
Be simple
Always try to keep your search terms as simple as possible for example if you are looking for a hotel in a certain place then you need to type in the name of the hotel along with the town or zip code. You should also keep your search terms as short as possible two words are better than a bunch of irrelevant terms.
Punctuations
This is not an issue here because search ignores all of them
Use web-friendly words
Search robots use a matching algorithm to render the results , they mainly match your search terms to pages with the same words so instead of typing my tooth hurts its better to write toothache
Fast Facts
Find related pages
If you find a page and you want to look for similar content in other pages then use the related: operator.
Track Your Packages
If you want to track your UPS, FedEx, or USPS packages just type in its serial number in Google search box and you will get its status.
Get Definitions
If you want to get a definition of a word just type in define: followed by the word you want to define
Calculator
If you want to make a calculation just enter the the equation and you ll get the results
Search Time
To search the time of any country just type in time followed by the name of the country or city you want
Currency Exchange
To get current exchanges just type in currency 1 in currency 2. for instance i want to convert 10Euro into Dollars then i have to write 10 euro in dollars.
Search By File Type
To search for specific kinds of files then all you have to do is write your search query followed by : and and the 3-letter file abbreviation. for instance i want to look for a pdf about mobile learning i will type in Mobile Learning: pdf.
Find Related Pages
To find related pages to a website you like just type in related: followed by the url of the website you liked
Search for An Exact Phrase
to search for an exact phrase you just need to put quotation marks around the words example; “ to be or not to be “.
Search within a specific site
Precede your query with site: if you know you want your answer from within a specific site or type of site (.org, .edu). For example: site:edu or site:nytimes.com
Highlight words
If for instance you are looking for the ingredients of a recipe and you want to highlight some parts you use + followed by the items and if you want to exclude other items you just precede them with minus sign – example ; salsa recipe +avocado –tomatoes
Advanced Image Search
To search images by their size, color, style or type you just need to use the tools on left panel
Search The web in all Languages
When you're searching, click "More search tools" on the left panel of your results page, then select "Translated foreign pages." The feature will choose the best language in which to search and deliver results translated back in English.
Search for Recipes
To search for a recipe you need to use the tools on the left panel and select recipes
Search for zip codes and area codes
Just type it in the search box and you will know where it belongs to
Shop and compare across the web
Use the "Shopping" link on the left panel on the results page to shop for products and compare prices across the web
Search with location
If you want to look for example for a restaurant near you just type in the name of the restaurant followed by the zip code of the city and you will get instant results
Get Movies
Search on a movie name or just movie to see theater locations and showtimes in your area
Check the Weather
To check the weather of a certain place just type in weather followed by a zip code or the name of any city in the world to get the current weather and forecast. Example ; weather chicago
Get Flight Schedules
To see flight schedules to or from a particular destination, type flights from or flights to followed by the city or airport of interest. You can also add another location with to or from and view the schedule for a specific route.
Map your Location
To get the location of any city in a map just type in the city name or zip code followed by the word [map], and you'll see a map of that location. Click on the map to see it on Google Maps. for example : New York map.
Filter results by reading levels
Sort your results by reading level by clicking on Advanced Search and filtering the results into basic, intermediate and advanced reading levels.
These were some of the best Google search tips you need to know in order to better use Google search engine. I hope educators and students would put to practice some of what they have learnt here. Remember the ultimate goal is to enhance learning through the use of technology.
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