At our Study+ workshop this week, we learnt how to Google like a PRO!
Here’s a quick breakdown of the session so you too can be a higher-order Googler.
Keyword searching on Google:
A keyword is a particular type of word or phrase that describes the contents of a web page. They act as short cuts to sum up an entire page. They form part of a web page’s meta data so search engine’s like Google can match your search query to the relevant web page (Techopedia, 2017).
Googling 101:
Here’s some simple ‘operators’:
AND : Google automatically assumes that all the words you put in the search box are words you want to find together (tiger shark = tiger AND shark)
PHRASE : If you want two or more words to be found together in the exact same order, use inverted commas to create a phrase (“tiger shark”)
OR : If you have more than one definition for a word you would like to find, use the OR search operator (show OR fete)
MINUS : Just like in mathematics, this operator is used when you want Google to take away a word or phrase (twilight -bella -edward)
Ready for some more? Read on!
Need a definition for a word?
Put define: before the word
Searching for quotes, lyrics, or an exact set of words?
Use quotation marks (” “)
Searching for something and want to include related words (synonyms)?
Put a tilde (~) before the word
Searching the pages within a specific website?
Put site: before the first keyword
Searching for a document type? (pdf, ppt, etc.)
Put filetype: before the first keyword
Make sure the word you want is on the page:
Put intext: before the word
Looking for similar sites?
Put related: before your topic
Use an asterisk (*) to find a word you can’t remember:
Be critical of your results!
The top hit is not always the most relevant or trustworthy.
Ranking does NOT equal credibility.
Consider perspective and bias.
Does it pass the CRAP test? Currency, Reliability, Authority, Purpose.
Do you have any awesome google search tips? Let us know in the comments!
