Improving Searches

Many search engines use some similar strategies and shortcuts. Review these tips below and search for more online. A one pager on how to improve searching is a great candidate for your work in this module.

• Be specific. Add the most important words to a search. You do not need to use complete sentences or modifiers like "the," "a," and others. For example: "Siamese kitten" is better than "kittens" or "a kitten."
• Identify key phrases. Put words in quotation marks to find the exact word or to group words. For example, if you search for "lilac point Siamese kittens," your search will be narrowed down to those words in order. Without the quotations, your search will include many more pages that include any of the words lilac, point, siamese, and/or kitten.
• Include or exclude terms. Adding the + symbol to a search term will limit your search only to those pages that include that specific word. Using the - symbol in front of a word will exclude it from the search. For example, all of the results for the search "+Siamese kittens," will include the word Siamese. (Case does not matter.) The result "Siamese kittens -cats" will limit the search to kittens only. Pages about cats will not be presented.
• Use and/or to connect words. Using the "and" connector will narrow your search to to include both search terms, such as "blue and seal point kittens." Using the "or" connector will show you results related to one or the other term, such as "kittens or cats."
• Use filetypes. If you're looking for a PDF file or a Word document or other file type, include their shortcuts in your search. A downloadable catalog from a breeder might best be found using the search "Siamese kitten filetype:pdf."
• Read and use search suggestions. The Omnibar will suggest searches based on the words you are entering. It draws from your search history and popular searches others have completed. Observe the suggestions and use one to complete a more relevant search more quickly.

There's more! Check out some of the videos below or investigate how to use Google Advanced Search.

Google Advanced Search

How to Google Like a Pro

Parts of a Search

Searching by Link

Search by Modifiers

Search by Image