Google power searching quick tips

Several times a year, Google offers its "Power Searching with Google" class, which consists of six 50-minute classes split up into 5 to 10 minute YouTube clips, and one of the first things you learn in those classes is that, if you know what CTRL+F can do for your searches, then you are in the top 10 percent of all searchers.

If on the other hand you do not want to take any classes, then try this list of the offered used tips and tricks that you can apply for your google searches. For a more comprehensive template in accordance to the task that you have at hand is here.

Google has expanded on the user experience and offers also a blog, where you get more in depth knowledge with regards to the search tools and techniques you can apply in your searches, as well as a Search Playground, where you can feed your curiosity, test your search skills and explore topics in a whole new way.

Of course there is always the advanced search option that you can use, apart from the main google page. The basic how-to search information can be accessed here, while the use of operators and semantics is covered here.

My favorites are :

·        Use quotes to search for an exact word or set of words in a specific order, without normal improvements such as spelling corrections and synonyms. This option is handy when searching for song lyrics or a line from literature. (eg.  "imagine all the people")

·        Include "site:" to search for information within a single website like all mentions of "Olympics" on the New York Times website. (eg. Olympics site:nytimes.com )

·        Use an asterisk (*) within a query as a placeholder for any unknown or "wildcard" terms. Use with quotation marks to find variations of that exact phrase or to remember words in the middle of a phrase. (eg. "a * saved is a * earned" )

A nice filtered list for power searching with google that I came across, can be found here. Access the offered google classes here.

By the way, if you don’t know the CTRL+F combination, then by pressing CTRL on Windows or ⌘ on Macs and F at the same time will prompt you to enter a word or series of words that your browser will then highlight on the browsed page.

KEEP CALM AND GOOGLE IT.