Google Search may just provide search results for your queries, but it is also a very powerful tool that can help you get answers to questions in an instant. It has the ability to provide you with information on just about anything. The problem is getting the right information. How many times have you searched for something and not get the results you were expecting?
It happens quite a bit, but with practice and the tips below you will be getting the right results in no time.The Internet is its own universe and thankfully Google does a good job of indexing. As an Internet user it is your job to learn how to search smart and get the information you are looking for.
The following is a list of few search tricks that will save you lots of time searching with Google.
1. Location Specific Information
Today we all live in a global environment. We have friends, family members and clients that live in different parts of the world. If you want to know the time in a particular city, just type “time in” and hit the return key.
You will immediately get the time in that particular city in big bold font before any relevant search results. This is not only restricted to time but can also be used for other vital information like weather, population, etc. The same can be done using the name of a particular country.
2. Measurement and Currency Conversion
There are multiple units of measurement used around the world. Though most of us were made to memorize the conversions during school, we may not always remember the exact equation to convert celsius to fahrenheit and vice versa, luckily Google can help us with this and more.
Head over to Google and enter “unit1 in unit2″ and you get the exact conversion. Same applies to currencies. No need to pull out (or open) a calculator and convert currencies. Just write “50 USD into pounds” and you see the answer right away.
You not only get the conversion factor but the exact calculated value as a result.
3. Calculate Almost Anything
Speaking of conversions and calculations, Google Search also does a great job of calculating numbers when you perform a search.
It can do basic calculations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, square, square root, etc. You can either use function names or mathematical symbols to do the calculations. Decimal numbers can also be used.
4. Define Words
With Google Search you can eliminate the need for your hardcopy of Merriam-Webster’s dictionary. If you need to find the definition for any word simply enter define: term in the search box, hit enter and you will be presented with the definition of the word you entered.
5. Narrow Search to Specific Words
If you search any word or phrase with quotation marks, you see those websites in the search results that have the word on phrase in their website content. This ensures that the website is relevant and sometimes results in more efficient search results.
This is also a good search option if you are monitoring a brand or doing some research on a very specific topic. Again, if you are looking for a famous poem or prose, you can write some words from it on quotation marks, and get the remainder as a link in the search results.
6. Search Only Specific Sites
Do you want to narrow your search results to a specific website, say About.com or Mashable.com?
Google gives you the option to search within a specific website when you preface the search term(s) with site: This is a great feature if you can’t remember the title of an article but know what it’s about and where you read it.
7. Search for Files Online
If you want a presentation or a workbook for a very specific task, you can ask Google to filter your search results accordingly. To use this filter you can either use the Advanced search options or you can enter the keywords, then Filetype: and then the extension for the file you are searching for (example below).
If you need a presentation(.PPT or .PPTX) on the topic of search tips and tricks, you would enter searching tips and tricks filetype:ppt. The results should only list presentations related to the keywords you entered.
8. Find Instant Answers to Common Information
If you want to know about a disease or the schedule of your favorite sport, you can quickly find this information using Google.
Not all queries will provide you with relevant answers right away, but most related to movies, diseases, sports, news, weather and other commonly sought information will be summarize above the search results.
One has to use trial and error for searches like this. Just don’t be formal while searching. Be as naive as a child asking questions and Google will most likely get you the answers you seek. Like all things, the more you use it, the better you will become in using Google to search for information on the web.
About the author: Alia Haley is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and autos. Beside this she is fond of cars and fancy dresses. Recently an article on birdman net worth attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on LG optimus 3d price.
