The optimal use of Google search engine can significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of information retrieval.
1. Search for specific websites
Site: Command: Restrict search results within a specific website by using the 'site: website domain' command. For example, searching for "site: wikipedia. org" displays relevant results on Wikipedia.
2. File type search
Filetype: Command: can search for files in a specific format. For example, "Mapo tofu Recipe filetype: pdf" will display all PDF files related to Mapo tofu recipes.
3. "Related" search
Related: Command: Find websites that are similar to a certain website. Search for 'related: wikipedia. org' to find other websites similar to Wikipedia.
4. Geographic location search
Location: Command: Restrict the geographic location of search results. Searching for 'bookstore location: Shanghai' will return information about bookstores located in Shanghai.
5. Use search operators
Quotation marks "": Search for the exact phrase, searching for "monkeypox epidemic" will only display results containing the exact phrase.
Minus -: Excluding certain words, searching for "carpet sheepskin" will search for items related to carpets but not including "sheepskin".
Asterisk *: As a wildcard, it represents unknown words. Search for "best * book" to display "best science fiction book", "best history book", and so on.
OR operator: Use "OR" to search for multiple keywords. Searching for 'refrigerator stickers or stickers' will display items containing' refrigerator stickers' or 'stickers'.
The title contains specific words. 'Intitle: Weight Loss' will search for pages with' Weight Loss' in the title.
Inurl: The URL contains specific words. Inurl: SEO will search for all pages in the URL that contain 'SEO'.
Cache: View a webpage cached by Google. 'cache: wikipedia. org' displays the cached version of Wikipedia.
Define: Get the definition of a word. 'define: seo 'will return the definition and related information of' SEO '.
Info: Get information about a website. Searching for 'info: wikipedia. org' will display relevant information and links from Wikipedia.
Before: and After:: limit the time range of search results. Searching for 'Summer Olympics after: 2022-07-26' will return all results related to the Summer Olympics after July 26, 2024.
AROUND (X): Search for results where two words are separated by no more than X words. Search for "AROUND (3) paid advertising" to display results with a maximum of three words between "search engine" and "paid advertising".
6. Use the search tool Tools (located in the bottom right corner of the search box)
Time filtering (Any time): Click on the "Tools" option on the search results page and expand it, select the time range of the information results.
All Results: You can choose different types of results, such as news, images, videos, etc.
7. Use search suggestions
Auto completion: When entering keywords in the search box, Google will provide relevant search suggestions, which can be used to optimize the search.
Related searches: At the bottom of the search results page, you can view "Related searches" to find if there is any relevant information that interests you.
8. Utilize other features of Google
Google Scholar: Google Scholar articles can be used for professional literature search.
Google Translate: Google Translate translates foreign language materials.
Google Maps: Find location and navigation information, understand merchant locations and reviews. (manually marked with an asterisk)
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9. Security and Privacy
Stealth mode: You can use stealth mode in search engines to protect personal privacy.
Manage search history: Regularly view and manage Google search history, and it is recommended to regularly delete unnecessary records and various data on non personal commonly used devices.