10 tips for smarter, more efficient Internet searching
(Adapted from Norton. 2012)
1. Use unique, specific terms
You might guess that the terms blue dolphin are relatively specialized. A Google search of those terms returned 2,440,000 results! To reduce the number of pages returned, use unique terms that are specific to the subject you are researching.
2. Use the minus operator (-) to narrow the search
Terms with multiple meanings can return a lot of unwanted results. The rarely used but powerful minus operator, equivalent to a Boolean NOT, can remove many unwanted results. For example, when searching for the insect caterpillar, references to the company Caterpillar, Inc. will also be returned. Use Caterpillar -Inc to exclude references to the company or Caterpillar -Inc -Cat to further refine the search.
3. Use quotation marks for exact phrases
Using quotation marks around a phrase will return only those exact words in that order. It's one of the best ways to limit the pages returned. Example: "Be nice to nerds".
4. Don't use common words and punctuation
Common terms like a and the are usually ignored. Punctuation is also typically ignored. But there are exceptions. Common words and punctuation marks should be used only when searching for a specific phrase inside quotes.
5. Capitalization
Most search engines do not distinguish between uppercase and lowercase, even within quotation marks. The following are all equivalent: technology, Technology, TECHNOLOGY.
6. Drop the suffixes
It's usually best to enter the base word so that you don't exclude relevant pages. For example, bird and not birds, walk and not walked. One exception is if you are looking for sites that focus on the act of walking, enter the whole term walking.
7. Maximize AutoComplete
The standard Google start page will display a drop-down list of suggestions supplied by the Google search engine. This option can be a handy way to discover similar, related searches. For example, typing in Tucson fast will not only bring up the suggestion Tucson fast food but also Tucson fast food coupons.
8. Customize your searches
There are several other less well known ways to limit the number of results returned and reduce your search time:
The plus operator (+): The plus operator tells the search engine to include those words in the result set. Example: tall +and short will return results that include the word and.
The tilde operator (~): Include a tilde in front of a word to return results that include synonyms.
The wildcard operator (*): For example, amusement* will return pages with amusement and any other term(s) the Google search engine deems relevant.
The OR operator (OR) or (|): Use this operator to return results with either of two terms. For example happy joy will return pages with both happy and joy, while happy | joy will return pages with either happy or joy.
Numeric ranges: You can refine searches that use numeric terms by returning a specific range, but you must supply the unit of measurement. Examples: Windows XP 2003..2005, PC $700 $800.
Site search: . It's best to go directly to the source, and site search is a great way to do that. Example: site:www.intel.com rapid storage technology.
Related sites: For example,
related:www.youtube.com can be used to find sites similar to YouTube.
9. Use browser history
If you can remember the general date and time of the search you can look through the browser history to find the Web page.
10. Set a time limit — then change tactics
Sometimes, you never can find what you are looking for. It's time to try something else:
Use a different search engine, like Yahoo!, Bing, Startpage, or Lycos.
Ask a peer.
Call support.
Ask a question in the appropriate forum.
Use search experts who can find the answer for you.