How to Find Almost Anything on Google

Google is one of the best search engines online. Their stocks keep going up, they acquire new sub divisions constantly, and they have a simple, streamline style that keeps down the clutter. But how do you find what your looking for among all of the stuff clogging the net?

1. Be specific.

If you put "blog" in the search engine you are going to come up with millions of posts, blogs, and content. If you put "planting blog" you'll get a narrower search, but it will still be a lot and some of them might not be what you're looking for. But if you say "horticultural blog" you are likely to fewer blogs, many more of which have good advice about horticulture.

2. Vocabulary counts.

The words you use determine the type of content you might get. If you use slang you are more apt to get an article written by and for the general public. If you use key words, words specific to your topic, you are likely to get something written by a professional in that area. Searching for "cysts" will lead to many interesting articles, but searching for "Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome" will give you medical papers and articles by doctors.

3. Spelling matters.

Google, like many search engines, will give you a guess at the correct word you are looking for. Sometimes it pays to spell wrong as others may spell it the same way, but to get professional sites you do need to spell it right. If Google doesn't suggest the right word try dictionary.com.

4. Know the system.

Sometimes you have subjects that are a little more obscure then others. If you are doing a search on Star Trek you are going to find a lot of answers, but if you want something more specific in the Star Trek universe you need to know the system.

Adding + and - to your searches tells the engine what you do and do not want to know. If you type in "star trek -shatner +nimoy" you are going to get websites that are geared directly toward Nimoy's involvement with Star Trek. Add in "+spock" and you will get an even more refined search dealing specifically with his role as Spock.

The - sign also works well when you have a word that means two things, like "bass" that can be music or fish.

5. Use "Quotes"

Sometimes you are looking for something very specific. Quotes often help with finding movie quotes, lyrics, or other key phrases. Adding quotes around a phrase searches for that phrase instead of the various words.

6. Link search.

If you find a helpful link then sometimes you can find like minded websites, or contrary views, by searching to see who links to them. Use "link:http://...." To find out who has a link to that page, or who is interested in that subject.

7. Getting it in order.

If you search for "Star Trek" you are going to find a lot of websites dealing with that SF show. If you search for "Trek Star", even without the quotes, you'll get the same show, but different websites.

8. Try something new.

Sometimes you just need to find the right words. If you try something and it doesn't work try new words. Add words, or try separating words, deleting quotes. This helps with lyrics that are often miss heard. You enter something and can't find it, so entering a different part of the song may get you your answer.

9. Last Resort: use advanced search.

Advanced search is the last resort because it takes a more time, has more options, and can be cumbersome. Because it has more options it may also give you answers you could not otherwise find. Advanced search lets you filter out websites that have not been updated, domain names, licensing, and other attributes. This is most helpful when you are looking for something extremely specific or hard to find.