Google Search Syntax – How to get the answers you really want from Google search.
Google search is probably one of the greatest information tools available in modern day, but it isn’t a mind reader, contrary to popular belief. Here are a few of the standard syntax tools you can use to fine tune your search and really focus in on useful summaries.
For a quick web-based interface to many of the syntax options below visit: www.google.com/advanced_search
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1.) Negative Keyword
Syntax: -‘keyword’
Example: Business –technology will show results for the word business but not the word technology.
2.) File Type
Syntax: filetype:’extension’
Example: Business technology filetype:pdf will show only results that you can download as a PDF file.
3.) Synonyms Match
Syntax: ~’keyword’
Example: ~technology will search for “technology” and synonyms of “technology”
4.) Phrase Match
Syntax: “phrase words”
Example: “Business technology” will not get results for someone who wrote “business and technology”. Only exact phrases in order will return results.
5.) OR
Syntax: The ‘|’ symbol
Example: Business + Technology|Tech|Technologies is a search for all of those possibilities (Business Technology or Business Tech or Business Technologies)
6.) Price Range
Syntax: $…$
Example: Laptop $100…$200 will show search results for laptops between $100 and $200 dollars.
7.) All in Text
Syntax: allintext:’keyword1’ ‘keyword2’ ‘keyword3 ‘
Example: allintext: business technology revenue will show search results for pages that have business technology revenue.
MORE ADVANCED:
8.) Search Within
Syntax: site:’site name’
Example: site:www.jliebertz.com will show only results from www.jliebertz.com website.
9.) Date Search
Syntax: daterange:’yyyymm’ or ‘Julian calendar day’
Example: daterange: 201508 will find only information and news from August 2015.
Link to Julian converter: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/JulianDate.php
10.) Fill in the Blank
Syntax: ‘*’
Example: Business technology is * businesses will allow google to treat the star as a placeholder for any unknown term(s) and then find the best matches.
