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Google Search Tips: Advanced Features
1. Google Search Tips:
Advanced Features
By Robin Hartman, Associate Librarian
Darling Library – Hope International University
Adapted from “A Google Gambol” (Internet Librarian 2003)
Greg Notess, Creator, Search Engine Showdown
& Reference Librarian, Montana State University
Updated by Bethany Ahlberg 8/2/07
8/2/2007
2. Advanced Features of Google
Fill in the Blanks – “*”
Diacritics
Query modifiers
GAPS (proximity search)
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4. Fill in the Blanks – “*”
You can replace unknown
words with an asterisk - “*”.
Google returns results
substituting the “*” with
words most frequently
used in the context of the
query.
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11. Fill in the Blanks – “*”
Replacing a character.
If you try to use “*” to fill in a letter,
number, or symbol…
…Google will treat the
characters on either side
of the “*” like separate
keywords.
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13. Diacritics
If you search for a
word with a diacritic
(distinguishing
mark) in it…
…will Google
return results with
or without the
diacritic?
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14. Diacritics
The
answer is:
both!
A search for unité
produces results for
both unite and unité.
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15. Diacritics
To limit your search to only unité, add
a “-” followed by unite.
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16. Diacritics
Notice how the number of
results has decreased.
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18. Query Modifiers
Use these commands in the search
window.
intitle: Find sites with one search term in the title.
allintitle: Find sites with all search terms in the title.
inurl: Find sites with one search term in the URL.
allinurl: Find sites with all search terms in the URL.
site: Limit your search to a specific web site.
filetype: Specify a type of document to search.
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19. Query Modifiers – intitle:
Find sites with one search term in the title.
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20. Query Modifiers – intitle:
This search returns
sites with the word
shampoo in the
title…
…and ingredient
anywhere in the
document.
Find sites with one search term in the title.
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21. Query Modifiers – allintitle:
Find sites with ALL search terms in the title.
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22. Query Modifiers – allintitle:
Notice fewer “hits”
when shampoo
AND ingredient
must be found in
the title of the
page.
Find sites with all search terms
in the title.
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23. Query Modifiers – inurl:
Find sites with one search term in the URL.
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24. Query Modifiers – inurl:
This search returns
sites with the word
shampoo in the
URL…
…and ingredient
anywhere in the
document.
Find sites with one search term in the URL.
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25. Query Modifiers – allinurl:
Find sites with ALL search terms in the URL.
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26. Query Modifiers – allinurl:
Notice fewer “hits”
when shampoo
AND ingredient
must be found in
the title of the
page.
Find sites with all search terms
in the URL.
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27. Query Modifiers – site:
Limit your search to a specific web site.
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28. Query Modifiers – site:
Enter search terms,
then qualifier.
Finds elephant
Example 1 race on the Cal
State Fullerton
site.
Limit your search to a specific web site.
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29. Query Modifiers – site:
Enter search
terms, then Finds dinosaur on
qualifier. Example 2 the Smithsonian
Institute site.
Limit your search to a specific web site.
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30. Query Modifiers – site:
Enter search terms,
then qualifier.
Example 3
Limits search of
schwarzenegger to official
California senate pages.
Limit your search to a specific web site.
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31. Query Modifiers – filetype:
Specify a type of document to search.
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32. Query Modifiers – filetype: pdf – Adobe
readable files
Specify a type of document to search.
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33. Query Modifiers – filetype: pdf – Adobe
readable files
doc – Microsoft
Word documents
Specify a type of document to search.
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34. Query Modifiers – filetype: pdf – Adobe
readable files
doc – Microsoft
Word documents
mdb – Microsoft
Access databases
Specify a type of document to search.
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35. Query Modifiers – filetype: pdf – Adobe
readable files
doc – Microsoft
Word documents
mdb – Microsoft
D’oh! Access databases
jpg, gif, tif – graphics
If you get no results from Google and photos
Web, try Google Images.
Specify a type of document to search.
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36. Query Modifiers – filetype: pdf – Adobe
readable files
doc – Microsoft
Word documents
mdb – Microsoft
Access databases
jpg, gif, tif – graphics
and photos
ppt – Microsoft
PowerPoint presentations
Specify a type of document to search.
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37. Using Multiple Query Modifiers
Key words, plus…
…site: modifier, plus…
Voilà!
Search of shampoo
ingredient limited to
…equals… …filetype: modifier…
find only PowerPoint
files on official California
government pages.
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38. GAPS by staggernation.com
Searching for all kinds of
cookie recipes with
chocolate – but not
oatmeal?
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39. http://www.staggernation.com
This search will return:
Chocolate chip cookie recipe
Chocolate cookie recipe
Chocolate covered cherry
cookie recipe
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40. GAPS by staggernation.com
Google API Proximity Search
A script that searches Google for two search
terms that appear within a certain proximity
of each other on a page.
• Studies show that the closer search terms are in
proximity, the better chance that the document is
relevant to the searcher’s need.
For more info go to:
http://www.staggernation.com/gaps/readme.html
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42. Search Engine Showdown
For in depth information on how Google
and other web search engines work, go to
Greg Notess’ Search Engine Showdown:
The User’s Guide to Web Searching at
http://www.searchengineshowdown.com/
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44. See More Google
This is one of three presentations on
Google Search Tips. Others include:
Lesser Used Features
Lesser Used Databases
Advanced Functions
8/2/2007
Editor's Notes
Google Search Tips: Lesser Used Features 11/18/2003 Darling Library - RRH
