Tip of the Week: How to Customize Your Google Search for Better Results

You probably use Google more than you care to admit, so what if we told you that you could be getting even more value out of your Google searches? Today, we want to share some strategies to customize your Google search results by making your searches more effective from the outset.

Use Quotes to Find Specific Instances

Here’s a trick that teachers use to catch plagiarism in papers and essays. You can search for a specific phrase, wrapped in quotes, to discover where it came from. Google will then return searches for known quotes and passages, helping you find out where exactly the phrase came from in the first place.

Use Asterisks If You’re Unsure of a Word

This one’s helpful for finding lyrics, quotes, or phrases, but mostly if you’re unsure about a specific word or instance. Just replace the instance of the word with an asterisk. The search engine will then show you results, taking into account that there should be a word in place of the asterisk.

Use the Minus Sign to Narrow Down Search Results

It’s easy to run a Google search only to get results that have nothing to do with what you’re looking for. You can omit certain words or phrases through the use of the minus sign in your search. 

Use a Colon to Search Specific Websites

If you want to run a search on a specific website, you can use a colon in conjunction with your chosen search query to narrow down the results. This is helpful if you don’t want to see results from other sources and are instead trying to find something from one specific website.

We hope you find these tips helpful! Make sure you keep an eye on our blog for more great ways to make the most of your technology.

White Mountain IT

Related Posts

Maintaining Data Security Is the Most Important Tip We Can Give You

Tips are great as long as they actually work. Business owners need more technology tips than just about anything else, whether that is app-specific or general care of technology. We try to do our best to provide useful tips a couple of times a month, but this week we wanted to focus on what is probably the most important tip we can provide. The most important tip for business computing is to pr...

What to Know About Your Business’ Wireless Router

The modern workplace wouldn’t exist as it does without the advent of wireless Internet or Wi-Fi. Understanding how your wireless router works can be incredibly helpful for any business owner, and it can help you get even more out of your wireless connection. Today, we want to share some information about wireless routers that can help you use them more effectively. But First, the Basics One of...

Tip of the Week: How to Make Your Remote Meetings More Impactful

We’ve seen firsthand how the shift to remote work has revolutionized business operations. However, one area still causes friction for many business owners: the virtual meeting. A poorly executed remote meeting isn't just a time-waster; it can drain productivity and disengage your team, damaging your company culture. Today, we outline a few tips that show that with the right strategy and tools, you...

Implement Zero Trust Policies to Combat Ransomware

Yes, Ransomware is Common Enough to Warrant This Measure Ransomware infections, according to recent surveys, have affected three out of four professional organizations in some capacity over the past year. That?s a huge portion of businesses, and it?s no laughing matter. You need to protect yourself in any way you can. Ransomware can have various negative effects on your business, such as the foll...