Google is undoubtedly the most popular search engine worldwide, but are you using it to its full potential? In this blog post, we will guide you on how to do a keyword search on Google to get the most accurate results.
Understanding the Basics
In its simplest form, a keyword search on Google is conducted by typing keywords related to the topic you’re interested in into the search bar. For example, if you’re looking for a homemade pizza recipe, you might type “homemade pizza recipe” in the search bar.
Using Quotes for Exact Phrases
If you’re searching for an exact phrase, you can use double quotes to specify this. For example, typing “homemade pizza recipe” (quotes included) into the search bar will return results containing that exact phrase.
Excluding Words
If you want to exclude a particular word from your search results, use a minus symbol (-) directly in front of the word. For example, if you want pizza recipes without cheese, you can type “homemade pizza recipe -cheese”.
Using the OR Operator
The OR operator can be used to search for pages that might use one of several words. For example, “homemade pizza recipe -cheese OR gluten-free” would find pages related to either cheese-free or gluten-free pizza recipes.
Searching Within a Specific Site
To search within a specific website, use the ‘site:’ operator. For example, “homemade pizza recipe site:www.example.com” would search for pizza recipes only within ‘www.example.com’.
Using The Asterisk Wildcard
The asterisk (*) can be used as a placeholder for any unknown or wildcard terms. For example, “homemade * pizza recipe” might find ‘homemade veggie pizza recipe’, ‘homemade chicken pizza recipe’, etc.
Searching for Related Sites
The ‘related:’ operator can be used to find sites that are similar to a specified site. For instance, “related:www.example.com” would find websites that are similar to ‘www.example.com’.
Search for Pages Linking to a Specific URL
Using the ‘link:’ operator can help you find pages that link to a specific URL. For example, “link:www.example.com” would find pages that link to the specified site.
Conclusion
Mastering these Google search operators can significantly improve the precision of your search results. Remember, the key is to start by defining what you’re looking for, and then utilise these tools to narrow your search.
