Search is simple: just type whatever comes to mind in the search box, hit Enter or click on the Search button, and our Google search engine will search the web for pages that are relevant to your query.
Most of the time you'll find exactly what you were looking for with just a basic query. However the following tips can help you refine your technique to make the most of your searches. Throughout the article, we'll use square brackets [ ] to signal queries, so [ black and white ] is one query, while [ black ] and [ white ] are two.
Some basic facts
- Every word matters. Generally, all the words you put in the query will be used. There are some exceptions.
- Search is always case insensitive. Searching for [ new york times ] is the same as searching for [ New York Times ].
- With some exceptions, punctuation is ignored (that is, you can't search for @#$%^&*()=+[]\ and other special characters).
Guidelines for better search
Keep it simple. If you're looking for a particular service, just enter the name, or as much of the name as you can remember. If you're looking for a particular report, place, or service, start with the name. If you're looking for a leisure centre, just enter leisure centre and the name of your town. Most queries do not require advanced operators or unusual syntax. Simple is good.
Think how the page you are looking for will be written. A search engine is not a human, it is a program that matches the words you give to pages on the web. Use the words that are most likely to appear on the page. For example, instead of saying [ my rubbish bin needs emptying], say [ rubbish bins ]. The query [ what day is my rubbish collected? ] is very clear to a person, but the document that gives the answer may not have those words. Instead, use the query [ rubbish collection days ] or even just [ rubbish collection ], because that is probably what the right page will say.
Describe what you need with as few terms as possible. The goal of each word in a query is to focus it further. Since all words are used, each additional word limits the results. If you limit too much, you will miss a lot of useful information. The main advantage to starting with fewer keywords is that, if you don't get what you need, the results will likely give you a good indication of what additional words are needed to refine your results on the next search. For example, [ leisure centre chippenham ] is a simple way to find a leisure centre in your town and it is likely to give better results than the longer [ leisure centres in chippenham wiltshire ].
Choose descriptive words. The more unique the word is the more likely you are to get relevant results. Words that are not very descriptive, like 'document,' 'website,' 'company,' or 'info,' are usually not needed. Keep in mind, however, that even if the word has the correct meaning but it is not the one most people use, it may not match the pages you need. For example, [ tree preservation orders ] is more descriptive and specific than [ tree preservation ].
Phrase search ("")
By putting double quotes around a set of words, you are telling Google to consider the exact words in that exact order without any change. Google already uses the order and the fact that the words are together as a very strong signal and will stray from it only for a good reason, so quotes are usually unnecessary. By insisting on phrase search you might be missing good results accidentally. For example, a search for [ "Ridgeway Trail" ] (with quotes) will miss the pages that refer to Ridgeway National Trail.
Last updated: 5 November 2009
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