How to Properly Use a Search Engine?

August 11, 2021 by Sanam Marvi

We know Google is the ultimate thing for any quick search or in-depth knowledgeable search and in fact, a business buys search. But yet, we fail to search for something specifically due to a lack of sheer understanding of the techniques preferably used. And here is the guide to tap you along! If you wondered how to properly use a search engine? Let me take you through this.

There are techniques we are not really aware of. Did you know Boolean expressions can define a search for you? Be it academic or non-academic. How can we forget about Google Scholar? Let’s get moving…

Boolean Expression

Boolean expressions are focused to give specific results and turn around in different ways. Work not only on Google but on any search engine.

Also Read: Some Important Q&A on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Let’s see the examples:

1.Quotation Marks

The search with the”Quotation Marks” shows exactly the things you are looking for. In fact, the same word appears in the search results by word to word

On a keen observation to properly use a search engine, the search term “Today’s weather” has resulted in the same word to word results in the SERP’s

The search without Quotation Marks actually makes a difference. And the search is not word by word but scattered word search.

In this observation, for the same search, a scattered result has been obtained.

The result is with respect to two individual words, ‘Today’ and ‘Weather’.

2. Signs + and -ve

How will you utilize them in the search? Wondering? Let’s talk about the + sign in the first context. Usually, with quotation marks, Google includes all the words but without quotation marks, it may not include a few of the words. You can make it include too with the + sign.

Now our search is “days we live on land”. Let’s search this without quotation marks.

On including + sign to the words ignored by Google can actually include that in search. How do we do that? By searching it like, ” +days we live on land “. The result without the + sign is a lot different.

Now, what about – sign?

It’s pretty much simple that it will exude the words you don’t need in the search. All these imply for the search without quotation marks.

Let’s say “Hunt and kill cats” is my search without quotation marks. Now if you want to negate the cat from that search and look for “Hunt and kill”, you need to search it as “Hunt and kill -cats”. This takes out what’s not required from the search. The first image is with a sign and the second one is without the sign.

Also Read: Voice search SEO and its importance in today’s digital marketing

3. Operator OR

If you want to look out for the search for one or more options or both at the same time but for the same phase, the OR operator can do the work for you.

For example, let’s say my search is “who has the cats in Azman?”

This shows me the results of the places where we can get cats in Azman. Now if I add OR operator, it becomes like “who has the cats in Azman OR Dubai?”

This shows me the result of Azman, Dubai, or both.

Here in the picture, it is evident to see both the results.

4. Operator AND

What happens here? Let’s see them. My search here “Dancing salsa AND tap dance” obviously without quotation marks. I observe, it includes Salsa and tap dance mix search results. And if I take it out the results are different.

5. NEAR Operator

This just as AND but covers the range of 16 words between the two words. The difference between AND and NEAR is that AND can include two words in the search but they don’t have any relation but a mentioned word. Whereas NEAR actually gets the result with the two words but with correlation.

If I must use this in search then, “Man NEAR jungle”

Also Read: How Google search console is helpful for managing your website

6. Asterisks operator

How are Asterisks any different? Let’s say you forgot a word and you want to still search the result with a half query. What would you do? Simple use * but in quotation marks.

All the above operators were used without quotation marks but here is the one with the quotation mark.

In this case, my search is, ” COVID impacted many things*”.

This shows me the result with a complete sentence. Here is my case, * is filling the space, “but not India’s aspiration”.

That’s easy it is to look for!

What about Non-academic searches?

Now since you know the operation of Boolean Expressions. Don’t think using them too much will serve you. It is literally impractical.

If you want to search within a website, in the URL section, type “site: [URL of the website] and now outside the braces type the phrase you are looking for within the site.

If you want to search the already searched question by relevance or time or by location, hop on the search tool tab to do it.

Now if you want to define any word, simply type ” define:[word]”.

You have a different file type such as pdf, for, or jpg and there you want to search a word, how do you go about it? Simple type, “filetype:[filetype]” and following which write the word you are looking for.

Want it still more optimized for current weather? Get along by typing, “weather[zip code or city]. What about setting a timer? Well, do it by ” set timer for [time]”. Now, what’s left? What about currencies? Here we go, “[first measurement] to [second measurement]”.

So note that don’t bother to use a quotation or square brackets in the search, which was illustrated above to highlight the syntax. And for any monetary value search type $ and @ for usernames.

Now let’s talk about academic searches!

For any research, using a newer web page would help as the resources are updated to current events. This to optimize your search for new web pages, after typing your phrase in the search bar, however the Search Engine, and select time. There you have a new web page.

Well, most of us rely on Wikipedia for research. But that’s actually not reliable to research with it. But it is reliable if it is used to look for ideas. That’s the difference!

And of the purse, using boolean expression can make your task easier. And on the other hand resources from the school library’s website or database and in fact, Google Scholar can help you out!

Aren’t you curious about Google Scholar?

We have seen it but don’t know how to use it? Worry not, we are here for that!

For all the academic searches Google Scholar is made for you! And here’s where you find it “http://www.scholar.google.com“.

Let’s know how to utilize this!

1.Advanced search

This makes it easier! In Google Scholar, look for the down arrow box in the search bar on the right side. Here it shows a box with various fields. Now, go look for search based on authors or customize it by keywords or dates.

If the search engine is performed and you can find the arrow underneath the search bar and here click on advanced search. On exploring the field box, one has various choices to pick from. View upon citations or libraries. Have a school library? Look for any search through the library. Not satisfied, customize it still more by time or relevance.

2. Library

If you want to have some search in your library, click on the save link in the description and that saves your search automatically to your library.

“Cited by” that link takes you to a new page full of articles who have cited the main source you are looking for.
“Related article” takes you through articles that are correlated to the main source you are looking for.
“All 8 versions” this link directs you to the page where the same article is on different websites and all it’s file types.
“Cite” will take you to the pop-up box of citations. Either copy, paste, and use for your purpose.
“More”, has a link named “fewer” section, a “library search” section, and a “Cached” section.
“Library search” takes you to the online library where you can look for the source.
“Cached” shows how the page looked like when Google crawled it.
“Fewer” shows lesser links.

3. Let’s learn about all the links below the search engine description.

Final Thoughts

This operator makes the search easier and makes the task simpler and specific than the normal searches. Be it for academic or none academic Google search engine can be oversimplified and used for all the various tasks.

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