With 84% worldwide search market share Google is one of the most powerful tools on the internet and an essential part of our daily lives based on an online article.
Therefore, it becomes vital to understand how to use Google advanced search to search efficiently and save time.
One of the most important aspects of SEO is keyword research and content optimization. It’s crucial to stay up-to-date with the latest SEO practices and tools to achieve higher rankings on Google.
One of the most useful tools in your SEO toolkit is Google search operators.
What is Google Search Operators?
Google search operators are special commands that allow you to refine and filter your search results. They are used to perform complex searches and to narrow down the results to a more specific set of pages.
Google Search Operators are essentially commands that are added to your search query to tell Google to perform a specific action.
For example, you can use Google search operators to exclude certain terms from your search results, search for a specific file type, or to find pages that link to a specific URL.
Benefits of Using Google Search Operators
Using Google search operators can help one save time when conducting research. Instead of sifting through pages and pages of search results, you can use Google search operators to narrow down the results to a more specific set of pages.
Google advanced search along with search operators can be especially helpful when one is conducting research for a client or when one is trying to find specific information quickly.
Another benefit of using Google Search Operators is that they can help you find hidden or hard-to-find information.
For example, one can use search operators to find pages that have been updated recently or to find pages that are not indexed by Google.
Using Google Search Operators can help you find more specific and relevant search results, which can be useful for research or other purposes.
While one can use Google Search Operators directly in the search bar, it can be easier to use the Google advanced search feature.
To access Google advanced search, click on the “Settings” button at the bottom of the Google search results page, then click on “Advanced Search”.
This will take you to the Google advanced search page, where you can input your search query and add any search operators that you want to use.
Common Google Search Operators
Below are some of the most commonly used Google Search Operators that can simplify SEO practices:
site:
This operator is used to search for pages on a specific website or domain. For example, if one wants to find all the pages on the CNN website that mention “COVID-19”, one can use the Google advanced search query: “site:cnn.com COVID-19”.
filetype:
This operator is used to search for a specific file type. For example, if one wants to find all the PDF files on the CDC website related to “COVID-19”, one can use the Google advanced search query: “site:cdc.gov filetype:pdf COVID-19”.
intitle:
This operator is used to search for pages that have a specific word or phrase in the title. For example, if one wants to find all the pages on the Mayo Clinic website that have “COVID-19” in the title, one can use the Google advanced search query: “site:mayoclinic.org intitle:COVID-19”.
inurl:
This operator is used to search for pages that have a specific word or phrase in the URL. For example, if one wants to find all the pages on the World Health Organization website that have “COVID-19” in the URL, one can use the Google advanced search query: “site:who.int inurl:COVID-19”.
link:
This operator is used to find pages that link to a specific URL. For example, if one wants to find all the pages that link to the Mayo Clinic website, one can use the Google advanced search query: “link:mayoclinic.org”.
related:
This operator is used to find pages that are related to a specific URL. For example, if one wants to find pages that are related to the CDC website, one can use the Google advanced search query: “related:cdc.gov”.
– (minus sign):
This operator is used to exclude specific terms from your search results. For example, if one wants to find pages related to “COVID-19” but exclude any pages that mention “vaccines”, one can use the Google advanced search query: “COVID-19 -vaccines”.
“” (quotation marks):
This operator is used to search for an exact phrase. For example, if one wants to find pages that mention the phrase “wear a mask” exactly as it appears, one can use the search query “wear a mask”.
* (asterisk):
This operator is used as a wildcard to represent any word or phrase. For example, if one wants to find pages that mention “COVID-19 symptoms”, but there might be other words between the two, one can use the Google advanced search query: “COVID-19 * symptoms”.
In addition to these options, Google Advanced Search also includes many other search filters that can help refine search results.
Some of the search options and filters available through Google Advanced Search are language, file type, site or domain, safe search, usage rights, date, reading level, etc.
Conclusion
Google Search Operators can be incredibly helpful for SEO practitioners to simplify their practices.
By using these operators, one can quickly and easily find relevant information, save time, and refine your search results. Google Advanced Search is a great tool for utilizing these operators.
By incorporating Google Search Operators into SEO practices, one can stay ahead of the competition and achieve higher rankings on Google.
Exabytes’ SEO strategy plans include keyword research, website auditing, and content marketing. Keyword research helps in analyzing and finding out the high search volume keywords that are specific to one’s business.
Exabytes provides a dedicated professional SEO specialist to provide best-in-class professional advice and execute SEO strategies for achieving the set results.
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