Google processes over 3.5 billion searches per day, making it the world’s most popular search engine by far. But with great power comes great responsibility – the responsibility to use Google efficiently. Despite its simple interface, Google offers advanced features, customizations, and secondary products that most casual users miss out on.
Read this complete article to know tips, tricks, and little-known functions that will take your Google skills from 0 to 100. Master these to become a power searcher who can dig deeper and find information faster.
Use Advanced Search Operators for Precision
While the simple search box is great for basic queries, you’ll get far better results by using advanced search operators. These keywords refine and filter search to pinpoint what you’re looking for.
Some extremely useful operators include:
“double quotes”to search an exact match phrase instead of individual words that may appear far apartsite:example.comto restrict results just from a specific website (use this to efficiently search forums, wikis, blogs etc.)related:example.comto find sites similar to the specified URLfiletype:pdfto show only PDF documents in results-unwantedwordto exclude pages containing a certain wordintitle:”keyword”andinurl:”keyword”to search for keywords in page titles and URLs
Learning 3-4 search operators will boost your Google skills tremendously. For instance if you’re looking for a specific historical phrase from Wikipedia, try:
"search phrase" site:wikipedia.orgThis displays pages from Wikipedia only, containing that exact phrase. See how much easier it becomes to find information?
Customize Google to Show Relevant Results
Tired of irrelevant search results? Google’s customization options help to see more deeper information based on your personal search history and Google account settings.
- When signed in, Google displays custom Home panel based on your previous searches and activity. Toggle off as needed
- Go to
Settings > Search settingsto manage customization and personal results - You can pause search history tracking entirely or delete parts of your history
- Useful for researching sensitive health topics and keeping queries private
Think of it as your personal Google bubble. Customizations also apply to news, images, and videos for a more targeted experience.
Let Google Assistant Simplify Hands-Free Tasks
Google Assistant is the search giant’s virtual assistant, available via Android/iOS apps and Google Home smart speakers. You can use voice commands to get information, set reminders, hear the news, and more with Google Assistant.
Just say “Ok Google” or “Hey Google” to activate it, then speak requests like:
- “Set alarm for 7 AM tomorrow”
- “How’s the weather this weekend?”
- “Play jazz music on Youtube”
- “Translate how are you into Spanish”
Google Assistant taps into web results, your account info (calendar, contacts etc.) and smart device integrations to fulfill requests out loud. Over time, it learns your preferences for more personal recommendations too.
With over 1 billion monthly users, Google Assistant makes life easier by providing hands-free help on demand.
Enable Dark Theme to Cut Glare
Staring at bright white web pages and apps can cause eye strain headaches and loss of focus. Google offers system-wide Dark Mode to switch its sites and services to a comfortable dark background.
Turn on Dark Mode by:
- On Android 10+ devices, enabling Dark Theme in display settings
- On iOS 13+, turning on Dark Mode switches Google apps automatically
- On Chrome desktop browser, getting the Dark Reader extension
The darker interface cuts glare and is less taxing on the eyes during long sessions. Give Dark Mode a try across Gmail, Google News, Maps, Photos, Drive and Search for a break from bright screens.
Limit Results by Location and Recent Time Period
Sometimes you only want to see local search results from the past day or week. Google makes this easy by filtering with location and freshness.
- To show pages just from a specific country or city, add
location:Vancouveror whichever place is relevant - Use
daterange:to filter results from the past hour, day, week etc. likedaterange:24 hours - You can combine both like
location:Toronto daterange:7 days
These filters work well when searching for recent local news, upcoming area events, new nearby restaurant openings and so on.
Share Interesting Search Results with Others
Social sharing is built into Google itself. While browsing promising search results, use options to email or export finds instead of sending long links.
- Click vertical three-dot menu next to any search result
- Select “Email this result” or “Export this result”
- For email, pick text or HTML format and send
- For export, download search snippets in CSV/JSON format
Now you can conveniently send search excerpts to friends, family and colleagues instead of opening pages and copying URLs.
Get Alerts on Important Topics
Tired of checking for news manually on important topics? Let Google monitor subjects and proactively send updates as alerts.
- Visit Google Alerts and enter keywords, names, news sources to track
- Choose alert frequency – as it happens, once a day or once a week
- Sit back as Google emails latest relevant results on your terms
Alerts make staying up-to-date effortless. Instead of you constantly checking for information online, let information come to you.
Conclusion
Google is much more powerful than most users realize. With over 3.5 billion daily searches, it’s the undisputed leader. Make the most out of Google instead of just scratching the surface by applying advanced search tricks, customizing your experience, and utilizing built-in tools.
Follow these tips to search smarter, access unique features like Alerts and Assistant, organize better, and boost productivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some other Google products I should know about?
Besides Search and Assistant, Google offers popular apps like Gmail, Maps, Translate, Photos, Drive, Docs, Calendar, Books, News, Flights, Scholar etc.
How do I use advanced search operators on mobile?
Even on phones, operators work the same. For instance try searching:
intitle:news site:cnn.com
This displays only news articles from CNN, with news in the page titles.
Can Google Alerts email me article excerpts instead of just links?
Yes, When creating the alert, check the box next to “Show articles excerpted in the email”. This displays snippet previews so you can quickly scan without opening pages.