When searching Google, which is one of the main actions we do in our day to day, there are a series of shortcuts in the form of codes that allow you to better filter the results or get more to the point.
If you want to become an expert when it comes to searching on Google , follow these steps that we explain below. We have divided them into two well differentiated parts. On the one hand, the so-called Boolean operators, and on the other, certain tricks that you may not know.
Boolean operators in Google
Boolean operators form the basis of mathematical sets and the logic for searching databases. Operators connect your search words to narrow or broaden the results . The two basic Boolean operators are: AND and OR, but there are many more that can simplify your search function.
Google may not care about uppercase or lowercase letters in search terms, but Boolean searches are case sensitive. For a boolean operator to work, it must be in uppercase if so specified in the following listing.
AND
Operator that shows you results with all the words you put in the search. For example, computer AND tablet, thus restricting the results displayed by the search engine. AND finds all the search terms you specify. Using AND ensures that the topic you are researching is the topic you get in the search results.
For example, a Google search for PlayStation is likely to return results related to various models, the company blog, PlayStation Store, PlayStation Plus, etc.
If you want information about PlayStation Plus, you may also end up getting other search results related to PlayStation in general. To perform a finer search, use the AND operator. For example, PlayStation AND Plus.
OR
An article can contain any word, but it does not have to include both. This usually works well when there are two similar words or topics you want to learn about.
You must always use it in capital letters and it will show you results that obtain one term or the other, that is, both should not necessarily appear. For example, ball OR ball, draw OR paint.
Since OR gives Google the freedom to display more content (since any word can be used), there are more results than using AND to narrow the search to include both words.
AROUND
The term AROUND, accompanied by a specific value, returns search results with one value followed by another that is searched for. This is quite useful considering that the sequence of words that we search for will not always be fixed.
For example, sleep AROUND (5) hours should search for the word sleep within five words before or after the word anxiety.
“”
Quotes are one of the most useful Google secret codes. They restrict search results to only pages that contain an exact phrase .
For example, “the best travel apps”, “how to open a new checking account”, etc.
()
Parentheses are useful when you want to use more than one secret code . The combinations can be endless.
For example, (“best Smart TVs” OR “best TVs”) – LG. In this case, you would get related results from Smart TVs or televisions that exclude the LG brand.
MAP
Using map:barcelona (or any other place or zip code) Google returns results with maps of the indicated city or place. This is quite useful if you want to carry out a search limited to a certain geographical area.
As in other cases, it can be combined with others to find even more accurate results. For example “ATMs” map: 28034
DEFINES
If you want to directly find a definition of a word , use define:boolean or any other word you don’t know what it means.
Generally, this does not mean a leap in quality compared to directly searching for the word, since Google usually already includes it as the first result.
IF YOU
Really handy if you want to limit search results to a specific web page. In this way, a search is carried out limited to the web page in question.
For example, tips to improve WiFi speed site:adslzone.net.
INTITLE
Bearing in mind that looking for a specific word can give us search results in which it appears in the content of the text or the meta description, if we want to spin more finely we can use this code.
For example, intitle:vampires should only return search results in which the word vampire must be included in the title.
INTEXT
So that the previous example does not happen to us and the search result only has the searched word in the title, but not a trace within the text, we can use the code with the inverse function.
For example, intext:vampires would only result in those texts that contain the word vampire, regardless of whether the title is “The Story of Dracula,” for example.
movie
For the most moviegoers, with this operator you will find information related to the movie that you establish in the search. For example, movie:dune.
@ and #
Especially suitable for finding tags associated with Twitter with @ or hashtags with # on social networks that use them, such as Instagram or Tik Tok.
Symbol |
They are specifically used to search for various search results, any of them being valid. For example, if we search on a search for “buy chocolate chip cookies” | “buy chocolate buns” returns results for either of the exact phrases, so you’ll find articles on both types of candy.
~ symbol
This is used to find results for a specific term, but also for its synonyms, because after all they could also be valid results.
For example, ~motos should return results for motorcycles, motorcycles, mopeds, etc.
Other tricks to search on Google
This is not the end. While not using the Boolean operator codes, there are other features that will greatly simplify your Google search experience. For example, voice search. On the right margin of the Google search bar you will see that there is an icon in the shape of a microphone and this can help you search just like you do on your mobile with the Google Assistant.
Also, do not forget to use the different drop-down tools that are in each type of search (text, images, trips, etc). All the Google search sections have their own tools and they will help you refine the search a lot in those cases in which the results do not satisfy you.