Google Search Tips
Sometimes you are totally sure which terms to use when searching Google to find the
information you need. However more often than not, you have to try a lot of various search
phrases to accidentally come across a good result.
These three tips will show some Google search options you can use when you actually don’t
know what you are going to find. The tips will prove useful in a number of cases:
When you are looking for random inspiration and thus have no idea which words to use
to search (actually what you really need to get inspired is to know those words);
When your topic is broad and you are unsure which one of related words and synonyms
best describes your question;
When you have found a page, can’t define it properly but need more of the same kind
(especially, if you have landed on some wicked tool and want to know if there are more
tools like this).
1. Wildcard Search Operator
Search engines may treat a wildcard (*) differently. Google substitutes it for one or more
words that would normally occur in the phrase. Thus, if you, for example, search ["reliable *
provider"], search results will include: “reliable television provider”, “reliable webhosting
provider”, “reliable VoiP provider”, etc.
Possible Usage
Thus two of the most obvious ways to take advantage of the search operator are:
1. Use it when you remember the phrase but can’t remember the word;
2. Use it to research various word combinations with one or more base words;
Practical Example
Now, a more creative way to use it is to get some (content) inspiration; use a wildcard in
between search words to find articles are being created to target social media sites. Examples
include:
amazing * tutorials for more ideas on tutorials of any kind;
"what kind * are you" for more viral quiz ideas.
2. ~ Synonym Search Operator
The Google ~ operator allows you to broaden the scope of your search to related terms and
synonyms.
Possible Usage
This operator may be particularly handy when:
Your search term is very broad and you are unsure which of the related words is used to
describe the phenomenon.
You want to research related terms excluding the one you use (e.g. [~search -search])
Practical Example
When searching for guest post opportunities, the synonym ~ operator lets you include all
possible blog topics in one search:
“submit * guest post” web ~tools for links to websites offering you a free post
opportunity.
3. Related: URL Search Operator
The Related: search operator allows to locate more similar pages to the provided one. It used to
be strictly based on co-citation: it looked for pages with the same set of backlinks to the above
one. But since then it has been noticed that it also applied some thematic relevance.
Possible Usage
It is thus clear that the search operator should be used when you need to find more similar pages
(especially when you can’t formulate the contents or define the concept of the current page).
Practical Example
You want to see other available weather websites besides the one you might typically use:
related:http://www.weather.com returns many additional websites relating to
weather forecasting.