How to Use Google: The 30 Most Important Tips, Hacks and Tricks

What is GoogleTM and why is it so important?

Google Fact: Google has
Google is the world’s largest and most powerful search engine. indexed over 3 billion
In other words, it’s an incredible tool that allows you to locate a pages, 425 million images
wide array of information on the Internet including websites, and answers over 200
news, maps, phone numbers, stock quotes and much, much more. million search requests each
day. (Source: Google
Google is important because it has become our gateway to website, May 2003)
accessing information online. Every day more information is
available electronically and we continue to discover new reasons
to need access to that information. In fact, many people find
themselves using Google ten, twenty or even one hundred times a day. So, given the usefulness of
Google and its increasing importance in our lives, you would expect users to understand how to use
Google and all of its services. Unfortunately, the opposite is true.

Most Google users only know how to perform basic Google searches and are actually quite inefficient
in these efforts. As a result, most users are wasting their time, energy and money. This book is
designed for beginner to intermediate level Google users who
want to be more productive with Google. We will begin with
an overview of how to maximize Basic Search, and then
CONTENTS progress through advanced techniques, other types of search,
and information on other Google services. Lastly we will
Web Search Basics reveal some Google hacks and tricks for more expert users.
pages 2, 3
This book is sold as a .PDF, so distribution is on the honor system.
Search Results Please feel free to spread the word about the book, but please
page 4 encourage users to find the document on Amazon.com. As with all
Titanium books, 10% of the proceeds will be donated to charities
Advanced Tools furthering domestic educational development.
pages 5, 6
Google, GoogleScout, PageRank, AdWords, Froogle, and I’m
Expert Tools
Feeling Lucky are trademarks of Google Technology, Inc.
pages 6, 7 All data about Google services was acquired at the time of
More Types of Search publishing. Please visit Google.com for the most up-to-date info.
page 8
Published by Titanium Books, May 2003
Other Google Services 264 Charles Marx Way, Palo Alto, California 94304 USA
ISBN 0-9742369-0-X © Titanium Books – All Rights Reserved
page 9
Cool Google Tricks To find out how to obtain multiple copies of this book or for any
page 10 other questions about Titanium Books or Tod Sacerdoti, please
email us at info@titaniumbooks.com.
Summary
page 11 How to Use Google is dedicated to the GSB eDinner Group for
constantly inspiring, creating and challenging new ideas and to
Rebecca for putting up with all of the late nights.
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by Tod Sacerdoti | Copyright © 2003 | Titanium Books Inc.
 How to Use Google: The 30 Most Important Tips, Hacks and Tricks

The Basics of Google Web Search (advanced searchers skim this section)

Google (http://www.google.com) provides five basic categories of search – Web, Images, Groups,
Directory and News. This section only addresses Web Search; the other four are addressed later.

Web Search is the default search for Google, so the Google home page provides a text box to enter
your Web Search request. You will also find two different buttons to execute the search, and a
collection of links to other tools and information. To begin searching, simply type a few descriptive
words and either hit the ENTER key or click on the Google Search button. Note: The “I’m Feeling
LuckyTM” button takes you only to the first web page that Google finds, so ignore it for now.

Did you find what you were looking for? If not, you need to narrow your search by entering words
that are more descriptive, adding additional words or using a search tip from this book. Overall, the
best way to learn how to search more effectively is to understand how the Google search engine
works and how it interprets your search requests. Here are some basic tips:

1 How to Select Good Keywords

• Be as specific as you can. If you are searching for information about a Canon s400 digital
camera, enter Canon s400 rather than camera or digital photo.
• Use keywords that will most likely be found on your target page. For example, entering
Gloria Estefan will produce better search results than her maiden name Gloria Maria Fajardo

2 Keyword Search Rules

• Keyword searches are not case specific – New York is the same as new york
• Keywords must be exact, searching for basket will not return baskets or basketball
• Keyword order does matter – searching for san francisco giants will produce more results than
searching for giants san francisco
• Searches are limited to ten keywords (see 16 Wildcards for a trick around this limit)

3 The AND Assumption

Google always assumes there is an and between any keywords. So, if you enter
example:
Google will search for web pages containing both the word world and the word series.

4 The OR Command
If you would prefer to be searching for one word or another, enter OR in capital letters.
example:
Google will search for web pages containing either the word world or the word series.
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 How to Use Google: The 30 Most Important Tips, Hacks and Tricks

The Basics of Google Web Search (continued)

5 Searching for an Exact Phrase

Putting quote marks around keywords will allow you to search for an exact phrase. If you enter
example:
Google will only search for web pages containing the entire phrase world series.

6 Common Words are Automatically Excluded

Google automatically excludes most single letters, single digits and common words such as “how,”
“to” and “where.” These exclusions allow Google to return search results quicker and Google will
always display which words were excluded just above the search results. If you want Google to
include a common word, put the “+” symbol in front of it.
example:
or, you can search for an exact phrase, which will automatically include the common words
example:

7 How Does Google Rank Search Results?

Google has created a system called PageRank™ which is responsible for Google Fact: The
determining the order in which search results appear. The PageRank PageRank system
system begins by figuring out how many websites link to any particular protects the integrity
website. This number represents an informal voting system. For of Google search
example, if 5,000 websites link to your website and only 800 link to mine, results and prevents
your website has been deemed more useful by the community at large. websites from gain-
ing higher placement
However, shouldn’t a link from a highly ranked website be more valuable for commercial gain.
than a link from a random personal website? Yes, Google also takes this In fact, Google has
into consideration. The PageRank system weighs the “votes” based on never sold placement
the importance of the website from which the “vote” is delivered. within the search
results to advertisers.
After you send a search request, Google analyzes the rankings of the
pages that match your request. Google doesn’t produce your search Note: There are
results solely from these rankings, because a highly ranked site may advertisements above
actually have no relevance to you. Rather, Google compares how many and to the right of
times your keywords are found on each page and the relationship the search results.
between pages containing multiple keywords. Google delivers the most
relevant page first, which may or may not be the highest-ranking page.

Google Search Hint: The “I’m Feeling Lucky” button on the Google home page will send you to
most relevant page that Google finds. Many debate if this is Google arrogance or an attempt to help
consumers save time. Either way, your likelihood of “Feeling Lucky” depends entirely on your
keyword selection. Try searching for Viking Flash Memory, Cisco or the New York Yankees and
you’ll be sent immediately to the most logical web page. However, try entering the brand name
Kenneth Cole and you will see a less relevant result.
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 How to Use Google: The 30 Most Important Tips, Hacks and Tricks

The Details of a Search Result

A simple search request on Google can generate a large amount of information on the screen. It is
important to understand which information is relevant and, therefore, where to go to next. A search
can produce phone numbers, maps, stock quotes, sponsored advertising links and a slew of other
results. However, all standard Google search results appear in the same format as pictured below, so
you know that anything above the first search result is either a special shortcut or a sponsored adver-
tising link. Hint: Advertising links appear at the top or on the right and have a colored background.

Let’s walk through an example of a basic search result. Assume you are in San Francisco and you are
hoping to have a big night out on the town. You have heard about a company called Delicious Karma
that produces the best events in the city, so you search for
example:
Google returns:

These four lines provide information and resources about a web page on the Internet that may be
related to what you are looking for.
• The first line is the title of the web page - look here first to determine the relevance of the link.
• The second and third line provide text from the site with your keywords highlighted. It
appears there is a fashion show event, perhaps on May 10th. These two lines should also help
determine relevance. For example, if the second line read, “Is your Karma good or bad? ...
Come enjoy delicious yoga,” you could safely assume this was the wrong page.
• The fourth line provides the website address and the date it was last indexed by Google,
followed by links to Cached and Similar pages.

8 Cached Link
When you use Google, you are actually searching Google’s archived index of billions of web pages.
Google attempts to be as up-to-date as possible but, since web pages are constantly updated, it is
impossible to be completely current. The Cached Link takes you to the version of the web page that
Google has in its index, regardless of the current state of the web page.

For example, if the page you are searching for was recently removed or no longer includes your
keywords, the Cached Link leads you to the original archived web page containing your keywords.
Once you are on the Cached page, Google highlights your keywords so that you can easily find them.

9 Similar Pages Link (otherwise known as the GoogleScout)

The Similar Pages Link is a quick and powerful research tool that finds web pages that are similar or
related to the search result listed. This can be useful when a page provides interesting information,
but you want more. Or, try the Similar Pages Link if you are looking for a quick way to generate a
wealth of links about a subject, even if you don’t know all the right keywords.
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 How to Use Google: The 30 Most Important Tips, Hacks and Tricks

Advanced Search Tools

10 Dictionary Definitions
Google provides a link to a dictionary definition of each keyword or phrase you search for.
example:
Google returns the following at the top of the page:
Searched the web for perpetual motion. Results 1 - 10 of about 177,000. Search took 0.09 seconds.
Clicking on perpetual motion takes you to Dictionary.com and delivers the following definition:
perpetual motion (n) The hypothetical continuous operation of an isolated
mechanical device or other closed system without a sustaining energy source.

11 Spell Checker
Google automatically checks the spelling of any keyword you search for. If Google determines that
you will generate more results by spelling a keyword differently, Google will provide a link to search
using the new keyword spelling. Hint: The Google spell checker is more powerful than any word
processing spell checker because it can correct proper nouns, places and other words not found in
the dictionary. Notice how Google can correct the name of Brazilian supermodel Gisele.
example:
Google returns: Did you mean: gisele bundchen

12 Stock Quotes
Google is the quickest way to search the Internet for stock quotes. Simply enter a stock ticker
symbol and Google will return a link to quotes and finanical information. You can choose to view
results from Yahoo!Finance, Quicken, Fool.com, MSN MoneyCentral or ClearStation.
example:
Google returns: (click on the link to see the stock quote):
Show stock quotes for
ATAR (Atari Inc.)

13 Street Map
Google works with Yahoo!Maps and Mapquest to provide high-quality maps as search results.
Simply type in a U.S. address with either the zip code or the city and state.
example:
Google returns: (click on the link to see the map)
Show map of 555 California Street San Francisco CA
on Yahoo! Maps - MapQuest

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 How to Use Google: The 30 Most Important Tips, Hacks and Tricks

Advanced Search Tools (continued)

14 Phone Book
Google can find street addresses and phone numbers for both businesses and residences. To search
for a business in the United States, enter your search in the format of business name, city, state.
example:
Google returns: F A O Schwartz, (718) 326-8697, 767 5th Ave, New York, NY 10153

To search for a residential address or phone number, enter the search request in any of these formats:
first name or initial, last name, city or state
first name or initial, last name, area code or zip code
last name, zip code or city and state
phone number (including area code)
example:

example:

Expert Search Tools

15 Setting Your Preferences

Google Preferences (http://www.google.com/preferences) allows you to modify and save the way
Google searches for you on all Google services. You can have Google:
• produce up to 100 results on each page (instead of the default 10)
• filter out inappropriate or adult-oriented web pages with Google SafeSearch
• open a new browser window every time you click on a search result
• change the Google interface language to your native language or one you are studying
• search only for pages in a specific language

Hint: Your computer must accept cookies in order to save your preferences

16 Entire Word Wildcards

Google Hint: Some websites use the * character to replace any remaining letters in a
You can use Entire keyword search. For example, if you were going to buy shoes on eBay,
Word Wildcards to you could enter Nike shoe and you would find Nike shoe, Nike shoes, and
get around the ten Nike shoelaces. On Google this technique does not work – searching for
keyword search shoe* will only return shoe, not shoes or shoelaces. However, you can use
limit the * character to substitute for an entire word. For example, if you were
searching for Gone With the Wind, you could enter “Gone * the Wind”.

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 How to Use Google: The 30 Most Important Tips, Hacks and Tricks

Expert Search Tools (continued)

The next three expert tips involve syntaxes. Syntaxes provide Google with instructions on how to
execute a search. Basic syntaxes we have previously discussed are the AND assumption and the OR
command. Expert syntaxes are more powerful and allow the user to have Google focus a search on a
particular part of a web page or type of information.

17 Special File Types - Expert Syntax Tip

In addition to standard HTML web pages, Google can search for 12 different types of files on the
Internet. To search for a specific type of file, enter filetype: followed by the type of file you are trying
to locate. Combine this keyword with other keywords relevant to your search. For example, if you
wanted to search online for this book, you would enter
example:

Note: As of May 2003, Google supports the following file types – Adobe Portable Document Format
(.pdf), Adobe Postscript (.ps), many Lotus 1-2-3 formats, Lotus WordPro (.lwp), MacWrite (.mw),
Rich Text Format (.rtf), Text (.txt, .ans), and Microsoft Excel (.xls), Powerpoint (.ppt), Word (.doc),
Works (.wks, .wps, .wdb) and Write (.wri).

18 Specific Site Search - Expert Syntax Tip

Google can search for information within an Hint: There are a large number of
individual website. This is useful if you know which additional syntaxes that can be used, but
website holds the information you are looking for or they are beyond the scope of this book.
if you are searching for pages within a single Check out How to Use Google: Expert
organization. Simply type the keyword site: followed Edition coming in July 2003 for these
by the web address. For example, if you searching and other cool expert tips.
for a map of Yale University, you could enter
example:

19 Reverse Link Search - Expert Syntax Tip

Ever wonder who else thinks a website is useful, interesting or otherwise worth linking to? Reverse
Link Search allows you to find out what other websites link to any specific website. Simply enter
link: followed by the web address. For example, to search for websites that link to the official U.S.
Squash website, simply enter
example:

Google returns with over 1000 results. Who knew there were so many squash fans!

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 How to Use Google: The 30 Most Important Tips, Hacks and Tricks

Other Categories of Google Search

20 Google Images (http://images.google.com)

Google Image Search can access over 425 million images, making it the largest image index in the
world. Searching is done by keywords, similar to web search, and the search results are returned in
groups of twenty thumbnail images. Simply click on a thumbnail to receive the full image.

Image keyword searching can produce a lot of results, so be as specific as possible and avoid words
that have many connotations. For example, if you are searching for a picture of a genie, don’t simply
search for the word lamp. Hint: Use Google’s Advanced Image search to specify the image size,
filetype or color, or to use SafeSearch filtering to remove any inappropriate material.

21 Google Groups (http://groups.google.com)

Google Groups allows you to search an archive of online newsgroups, which are essentially text-
based discussion groups. Newsgroups exist for nearly any topic you could imagine. Simply enter
keywords relating to the particular newsgroup, author or topic in which you are interested in and
Google will return with a list of links to messages containing your keywords.

Since this archive dates back to 1981, you must be detailed in your search request. To narrow down
your results, try to use the Advanced Search link on the main search page and choose a specific
period of time in which to search. Hint: When searching for an exact phrase in Google Groups, the
search engine does not include common words like Web Search. So, use the “+” symbol to include
common words. For example, to search for the shoe brand To BootTM, enter +to boot.

22 Google Directory (http://directory.google.com)

The Google Web Directory allows you to search by navigating through categories. For example, to
search for websites about finding jobs online, click on these catagories:
Business > Employment > Job Search
However, in order to search for information on Steve Jobs, click through these categories:
Computers > History > Pioneers
The main difference between searching the Google Directory and Google Web Search is that the
Directory produces links to websites whereas the Web Search index links to individual web pages. As
such, the Directory is significantly smaller. However, it can be a useful place to start a search.

23 Google News (http://news.google.com)

Google News continuously searches over 4,500 news sources throughout the world to provide up-to-
the-minute news stories and pictures on a wide range of topics. The information is then automatically
sorted into categories such as World, U.S., Business, Science and Technology, Sports, Entertainment,
and Health. Google News only contains articles that have appeared in the last thirty days and can be
focused on an Australian, Canadian, Indian, New Zealand, United Kingdom, or U.S. audience.

Note: The entire Google News website is solely produced by computer algorithms. This allows for
rapid updating of stories and a sorting methodology based on relevance and importance similar to
Google Web Search results. However, it is still under development and minors errors can occur.

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 How to Use Google: The 30 Most Important Tips, Hacks and Tricks

Other Useful Google Services

24 Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com/)

The Google Toolbar is a must for any heavy Google user. Here is what it looks like:

After downloading the Toolbar to your computer, it sits just under your typical browser buttons
(back, forward, stop, address) and allows you to instantly access key Google tools including:
• Google Search is the quickest way to enter a search request
• Search Site can search for information just within the website you are currently on
• PageRank shows how high the current web page ranks on Google’s PageRank system
• Page Info links you to cached pages, similar pages and linked pages
• Word Find will locate the keyword you searched for on the current page

You can customize most aspects of the Google Toolbar including the appearance, size, buttons, or the
language in which it appears. Note: You must be using Internet Explorer to use the Google Toolbar.

25 Froogle (http://froogle.google.com/)
Google Fact: As
of May 2003, the If only researching product prices was as easy as searching for a former
Google interface President’s name! Google is trying to make that a reality with Froogle, a
supports over 90 product search engine that is currently in testing mode. Products can be
languages including searched for by keyword or through the product directory, similar to
Pig Latin and Zulu. Google Web Search, and can be sorted by price. Expect this product to
be even more effective as Google’s refine the Froogle technology.

26 Google Catalogs (http://catalogs.google.com)

Google Catalog Search makes it easy to find information from mail-order catalogs that may or may
not be located online. Whether you are looking for laser printers for your office or kitchen supplies
for your home, Google Catalogs will probably have information relevant to your search. Simply type
keywords relevant to the product you are interested in and compare vendors, prices and much more.
example:
Google returns with links to various catalogs. After you select one, you receive this header:

The Google Catalog header provides vendor information including a phone number to place an order,
the company website address and the catalog number. You can also perform a search just within that
catalog. It is important to note that this product is in testing mode and is not fully developed yet. I
have searched Google Catalogs for a variety of products and experienced varying levels of usefulness.

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 How to Use Google: The 30 Most Important Tips, Hacks and Tricks

Cool Google Hacks and Tricks

27 Google Over Email (http://www.capescience.com/google/index.shtml)
The team over at Cape Clear has developed an extremely cool product called CapeMail that allows
you to use Google Web Search over email. All you have to do is send an email to
google@capeclear.com and make sure to include your search request in the subject line of the email.
You will quickly receive up to ten search results via a reply email.

28 Does Google Have an Opinion of You? (http://www.googlism.com)

Curious to find out what Google thinks of you? Well, it isn’t really Google’s opinion, but a group of
web developers created Googlisms as a fun tool to determine what the consensus opinion is of any
name, time or place. When I entered my father’s name, Earl Sacerdoti, Googlism was right on:
“earl sacerdoti is known for his pioneering work in Artificial Intelligence”
However, beware of what you ask for. I entered Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, and one result was:
“larry ellison is a talking monkey and quite possibly a really evil man”

29 GooglePeople (http://www.avaquest.com/demos)
Google Fact: The Google Zeit- The Avaquest team designed the GooglePeople technol-
geist (www.google.com/press/ ogy to answer questions in the format of “Who is…?” and
zeitgeist.html) page provides info “Who was…?” GooglePeople responds to your question
on what keywords are most by providing a list of people who most likely to be the
searched for on Google. correct answer. Each name is followed by a star-based
confidence rating.
But, search Google for keyword
Zeitgeist and the dictionary defini- For example, I asked GooglePeople “who is the founder
tion link comes up empty. Accord- of Google?” The program responded with answer
33 ing to Webster’s Dictionary it “Sergey Brin” on top with five stars of confidence. Un-
means “the general intellectual, fortunately, Google co-founder Larry Page only had one
moral, cultural climate of an era.” star! Hint: Also check out GoogleMovies by Avaquest on
the same site.

30 TouchGraph GoogleBrowser (http://www.touchgraph.com/TGGoogleBrowser.html)

We are all accustomed to text-based searching, but perhaps a visual display of interconnected
websites would provide additional perspective. The TouchGraph Google Browser displays linked
websites in three-dimensional visual format. On the home page, enter a website address and watch
the GoogleBrowser rapidly create a visual universe of networked sites. Hint: You must say yes when
prompted to allow Java run on your computer because this program is a Java Applet.

From the cluster of websites on the screen, you have a wealth of options. You can spin the visual
image three-dimensionally, as if you are playing with galaxies and stars. You can get information
about any one particular site or double-click on it to expand the universe with new sites similar to the
website clicked. As you would imagine, these pages can get crowded quickly.

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by Tod Sacerdoti | Copyright © 2003 | Titanium Books Inc.
 How to Use Google: The 30 Most Important Tips, Hacks and Tricks

TOD SACERDOTI is an author, entrepreneur and self-proclaimed GOOGLE TIPS

Google addict. He holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School Keywords:
of Business and a passion for technology and media. He also shares a • be specific
desire to further educational opportunities for others and 10% of the • not CASE sensitive
proceeds from this book will be donated to education-focused charities. • AND is assumed
• use OR command
Tod’s next eBook project will be a new series called Titanium • “exact phrases”
Summaries which will be launched this summer - so keep your eye out! • +common +words
Tod can be reached at tod@titaniumbooks.com. Web Search Results:
• read for relevance
TITANIUM BOOKS is an eBooks publisher based in Palo Alto, CA. • Cached Link
Founded by a group of Stanford Business school graduates, Titanium • Similar Pages
Books specializes in short non-fiction titles and publishes exclusively Advanced Tools:
through Internet-based distribution channels. Please visit the Titanium • Dictionary
Books website at http://www.titaniumbooks.com. • Spell Checker
• Phone Book
Have an idea for a useful Google tip, hack or trick? Or, another • Street Maps
• Stock Quotes
recommendation for this book? If so, please email us at
ideas@titaniumbooks.com – we are always listening! Expert Search
• File Types
Check out the How to Use Google (Expert Edition) coming out in - filetype:
• Specific Site
July 2003 for more advanced and detailed Google Tips, Hacks and
- site:
Tricks. To be notified when this book is released, sign up on our • Reverse Link
mailing list at http://www.titaniumbooks.com. Your suggestions will - link:
be included in the Expert Edition.
Other Google Search
• Images
• Groups
• Directory
CUT THIS OUT • News
AND ATTACH IT Other Services
TO YOUR • Toolbar
COMPUTER • Froogle
• Catalogs

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by Tod Sacerdoti | Copyright © 2003 | Titanium Books Inc.