Advanced Search Operators

8 Google Searches You Probably Didn’t Know

We all know that Google is our best friend, but did you know there are some fantastic tricks to use while googling? These eight tips will help you find what you need.

advanced search operators

“Quotation marks”

Searching for an exact phrase can be done by surrounding it with quotation marks.

All results will contain your words in the results.

Example: "Isaac Adams"

It gives all results containing both “Isaac” and “Adams.”

– Dashes

If you want to exclude a term from your search, include a hyphen before that word.

Example: bulls -basketball

You want bulls, the animal, not bulls, the professional basketball team.

8 Google Searches You Probably Didn't Know

~ Tilde

Use the ~ (Tilde) operator when you want synonyms to appear in the result.

Example: SEO ~clases

Here you only get SEO classes, lessons, mentoring, etc.

Site:

Use this to search within a specific website only.

Example: site:isaac.io gravity forms

This advanced operator searches for gravity forms mentioned on my website (isaac.io).

| Vertical bar

Same purpose as the OR advanced search operator.

Example: SEO | SEM

SEO OR SEM

.. Two Periods

Use two periods to search within two number ranges.

Example: tv shows 1990..2020

Excellent when you don’t remember the exact year.

Search Tips for Google

Location:

Search for queries related to a particular location.

Example: SEO Freelancer location:Ottawa

Filetype:

Filter results by a specific file type related to your search.

Example: SEO cheatsheet filetype:pdf

This search filters out all results and finds the PDF forms you require.

The Takeaway

Google is your best friend when searching for answers, and we all know it. Check out our blog post for more information on how these search hacks can make google your most valuable resource! And don’t forget, if you’re looking for expert advice or guidance at any stage in this process, give me a call! I’d love to chat with you about anything related to SEO marketing strategy or digital marketing services that might be helpful to meet your goals – both now and down the line as well.

FAQ

  • What are Advanced Search Operators?

Published on: 2021-09-04
Updated on: 2022-10-28

Avatar for Isaac Adams-Hands

Isaac Adams-Hands

Isaac Adams-Hands is the SEO Director at SEO North, a company that provides Search Engine Optimization services. As an SEO Professional, Isaac has considerable expertise in On-page SEO, Off-page SEO, and Technical SEO, which gives him a leg up against the competition.