Enhance searches with these Google tricks

Posted on Tuesday August 16, 2016

Much like capturing someone's heart, mastering the art of fully utilizing Google Search takes time, dedication and the willingness to learn new things. It's an undeniable fact that we use Google Search almost on a daily basis, yet the only expertise we demonstrate is inputting a couple of terms and then relying on the search engine to do the work for you. Enhance each and every search with the help of these 12 tips:

Get Olympic updates

Get into the spirit of the games by keeping up with the latest medal tally and other interesting news about the 2016 Rio Olympics. Simply type in "rio olympics" and you'll be greeted with two options:

1. Above the search results, you'll see a temporary suggestion offering a shortcut on your home screen to quickly look up the latest Olympic news. Ideal if you want to check every now and then. 2. If you prefer immediate notification, simply scroll down a little and click on "Get Olympics updates." By doing so, notifications will be sent straight to your phone anytime a major event occurs.

Search for exact phrases with quotes

This tip is ideal if you're looking to locate results that contain a specific phrase. Searching for a phrase in quotes will bring up results that have only the exact words in the same order.

Specify unknown words within quotes

Look up variations of a certain phrase with ease. Simply replace a certain word with an asterisk. It'll help you determine a song from its lyrics or find the missing words in an incomplete expression.

Utilize the minus sign

Refine search results even further by using the minus sign. That will help filter out results that aren't of any interest. Figure out what terms you don't want to see (e.g., Jaguar -car) and refresh your search.

Website keywords

This is similar to the "site:" function that initiates a Google search that sifts through one particular website. For example, if you want to see every time TIME.com is mentioned in Google, use Google site:TIME.com

Go through archives dating back to the mid-1880s

If nostalgia pays you a visit, Google won't leave you hanging since there's an option that allows you to search through newspapers from around the world archived centuries ago.

Use "vs" to compare foods

With the myriad of food options available these days, sometimes we just need help deciding. Not sure what to have for dinner? Try typing in "rice vs. quinoa" for a side-by-side nutritional comparison.

Filter search results for recipes

Don't let dietary restrictions rain on your parade. After looking up your favorite dish, click on Search Tools under the search bar to filter recipes based on ingredients, cook time, and even calories.

DEFINE: the definition

Instead of flicking through dictionaries, save time by entering DEFINE: before any word (slang included). You'll also see its etymology as well as a graph depicting its linguistic usage over time.

Where is the love?

For those looking to add a little romance into their lives, simply press the mic icon on Google's search bar and say something sweet like "I love you." This recently-released love quote generator does all the searching for you. If that doesn't the stir enough butterflies in your stomach, simply click Try Again below the results bar.

With the right tips, you can save time and locate the needle in today's virtual haystack with ease. If you still have any questions regarding any of the Google search engine tips mentioned above, don't hesitate to mail us or give us a call. We are more than happy to accommodate your requests.