Google’s search engine has been a staple tool of the marketing industry for years, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
It’s in your best interest to have in-depth knowledge about Google’s search function to make it work for you and your business. This is because you will either save time, or get better search results- or both.
You probably already know how to search for images and basic queries like “find this place near me” and whilst there are excellent resources to brush up on preliminary Googling skills like this , what about the more advanced Google search functions? Let’s take a look at some advanced search techniques.
1️⃣#[topic]
You can search for relevant and trending content through hashtags e.g., #throwbackthursday
2️⃣“[topic]”
Try “SEO Best Practices in 2023″. By using quotation marks around your search topic you can narrow down the results to exact matches. This is useful when carrying out research around specific topics and reduces the amount of time you need to spend looking for the relevant information.
3️⃣Search within a specific site with site:[websiteURL]
Refine your search results by using this format. This will mean Google will results from within a particular website, just add site: before the question you are searching.
4️⃣“[topic] -[exclusion]”
Filter your search results by putting the minus symbol infront of the term that you wouldn’t like to see. This will help your searches to return more precise information.
5️⃣[topic] filetype:[file name]
If you want to find documents in a certain file type, such as PDF, JPG or DOCX, use this prefix to find them This comes in handy when you are trying to find research papers, manuals or report.
For results with a specific file type, you can identify that in your search too! If you aren’t sleeping well, try searching for best pillows filetype:pdf.
6️⃣Search images of a particular size with imagesize:500×600
This example will help you to quickly find relevant pictures in the specific size you require. Give it a try with “Cute cat pictures imagesize:500x 600”
Why not we all like cute cats!
7️⃣Related websites using “related:Google.com”
Find websites similar to a particular site by using this format. This will help you to quickly find the right kind of website that you are looking for.
By using these advanced search techniques you can quickly and efficiently find relevant information and optimise your content, helping you to build out your site long-term. A strong SEO strategy always stays in style.
If you want to boost your online presence our SEO experts can help. Contact us to level up any aspect of your digital marketing. Google us if you like too!
