20 Great Google Secrets

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,
4149,1306756,00.asp
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Google is clearl- the ,est ge%eral*
p)rpose search e%gi%e o% the /e,
0see
www.pcmag.com/searche%gi%es
1)t most people (o%2t )se it to its
,est a(#a%tage. 3o -o) .)st pl)g
i% a &e-wor( or two a%( hope or
the ,est4 5hat ma- ,e the 6)ic&est
wa- to search, ,)t with more tha%
3 ,illio% pages i% Google2s i%(ex,
it2s still a str)ggle to pare res)lts to
a ma%agea,le %)m,er.
1)t Google is a% remar&a,l-
power)l tool that ca% ease a%(
e%ha%ce -o)r 7%ter%et exploratio%.
Google2s search optio%s go ,e-o%(
simple &e-wor(s, the /e,, a%(
e#e% its ow% programmers. $et2s
loo& at some o Google2s lesser*
&%ow% optio%s.
S-%tax Search 5ric&s
8si%g a special s-%tax is a wa- to
tell Google that -o) wa%t to restrict
-o)r searches to certai% eleme%ts
or characteristics o /e, pages.
Google has a airl- complete list o
its s-%tax eleme%ts at
www.google.com/help/operators.ht
ml
. 9ere are some a(#a%ce(
operators that ca% help %arrow
(ow% -o)r search res)lts.
7%title: at the ,egi%%i%g o a 6)er-
wor( or phrase 0i%title::5hree 1li%(
;ice:< restricts -o)r search res)lts
to .)st the titles o /e, pages.
7%text: (oes the opposite o
i%title:, searchi%g o%l- the ,o(-
text, ig%ori%g titles, li%&s, a%( so
orth. 7%text: is perect whe% what
-o)2re searchi%g or might
commo%l- appear i% 8'$s. 7
-o)2re loo&i%g or the term 95;$,
or example, a%( -o) (o%2t wa%t to
get res)lts s)ch as
www.m-site.com/i%(ex.html
, -o) ca% e%ter i%text:html.
$i%&: lets -o) see which pages are
li%&i%g to -o)r /e, page or to
a%other page -o)2re i%tereste( i%.
=or example, tr- t-pi%g i%
li%&:http://www.pcmag.com
5r- )si%g site: 0which restricts
res)lts to top*le#el (omai%s< with
i%title: to i%( certai% t-pes o
pages. =or example, get scholarl-
pages a,o)t ;ar& 5wai% ,-
searchi%g or i%title::;ar&
5wai%:site:e(). +xperime%t with
mixi%g #ario)s eleme%ts> -o)2ll
(e#elop se#eral strategies or
i%(i%g the st) -o) wa%t more
eecti#el-. 5he site: comma%( is
#er- help)l as a% alter%ati#e to
the me(iocre search e%gi%es ,)ilt
i%to ma%- sites.
Swiss "rm- Google
Google has a %)m,er o ser#ices
that ca% help -o) accomplish tas&s
-o) ma- %e#er ha#e tho)ght to
)se Google or. =or example, the
%ew calc)lator eat)re
0www.google.com/help/eat)res.ht
ml?calc)lator<
lets -o) (o ,oth math a%( a
#ariet- o co%#ersio%s rom the
search ,ox. =or extra )%, tr- the
6)er- :"%swer to lie the )%i#erse
a%( e#er-thi%g.:
$et Google help -o) ig)re o)t
whether -o)2#e got the right
spelli%g@a%( the right wor(@or
-o)r search. +%ter a misspelle(
wor( or phrase i%to the 6)er- ,ox
0tr- :thre ,l)%( mise:< a%( Google
ma- s)ggest a proper spelli%g. 5his
(oes%2t alwa-s s)ccee(> it wor&s
,est whe% the wor( -o)2re
searchi%g or ca% ,e o)%( i% a
(ictio%ar-. A%ce -o) search or a
properl- spelle( wor(, loo& at the
res)lts page, which repeats -o)r
6)er-. 07 -o)2re searchi%g or
:three ,li%( mice,: )%(er%eath the
search wi%(ow will appear a
stateme%t s)ch as Searche( the
we, or :three ,li%( mice.:< Bo)2ll
(isco#er that -o) ca% clic& o% each
wor( i% -o)r search phrase a%( get
a (ei%itio% rom a (ictio%ar-.
S)ppose -o) wa%t to co%tact
someo%e a%( (o%2t ha#e his pho%e
%)m,er ha%(-. Google ca% help
-o) with that, too. C)st e%ter a
%ame, cit-, a%( state. 05he cit- is
optio%al, ,)t -o) m)st e%ter a
state.< 7 a pho%e %)m,er matches
the listi%g, -o)2ll see it at the top
o the search res)lts alo%g with a
map li%& to the a((ress. 7 -o)2(
rather restrict -o)r res)lts, )se
rpho%e,oo&: or resi(e%tial listi%gs
or ,pho%e,oo&: or ,)si%ess
listi%gs. 7 -o)2( rather )se a
search orm or ,)si%ess pho%e
listi%gs, tr- Bellow Search
0www.,)DDtool,ox.com/google/-ell
owsearch.shtml<.
+xte%(e( Googli%g
Google oers se#eral ser#ices that
gi#e -o) a hea( start i% oc)si%g
-o)r search. Google Gro)ps
0http://gro)ps.google.com<
i%(exes literall- millio%s o
messages rom (eca(es o
(isc)ssio% o% 8se%et. Google e#e%
helps -o) with -o)r shoppi%g #ia
two tools: =roogle
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0http://roogle.google.com<,
which i%(exes pro()cts rom o%li%e
stores, a%( Google Eatalogs
EA3+
0http://catalogs.google.com<,
which eat)res pro()cts rom more
6,000 paper catalogs i% a
searcha,le i%(ex. "%( this o%l-
scratches the s)race. Bo) ca% get
a complete list o Google2s tools
a%( ser#ices at
www.google.com/optio%s/i%(ex.ht
ml
Bo)2re pro,a,l- )se( to )si%g
Google i% -o)r ,rowser. 1)t ha#e
-o) e#er tho)ght o )si%g Google
o)tsi(e -o)r ,rowser4
Google "lert
0www.googlealert.com<
mo%itors -o)r search terms a%( e*
mails -o) i%ormatio% a,o)t %ew
a((itio%s to Google2s /e, i%(ex.
0Google "lert is %ot ailiate( with
Google> it )ses Google2s /e,
ser#ices "F7 to perorm its
searches.< 7 -o)2re more
i%tereste( i% %ews stories tha%
ge%eral /e, co%te%t, chec& o)t the
,eta #ersio% o Google !ews "lerts
0www.google.com/%ewsalerts<.
5his ser#ice 0which is ailiate( with
Google< will mo%itor )p to 50 %ews
6)eries per e*mail a((ress a%(
se%( -o) i%ormatio% a,o)t %ews
stories that match -o)r 6)er-.
09i%t: 8se the i%title: a%( so)rce:
s-%tax eleme%ts with Google !ews
to limit the %)m,er o alerts -o)
get.<
Google o% the telepho%e4 B)p. 5his
ser#ice is ,ro)ght to -o) ,- the
ol&s at Google $a,s
0http://la,s.google.com<,
a place or experime%tal Google
i(eas a%( eat)res 0which ma-
come a%( go, so what2s there at
this writi%g might %ot ,e there
whe% -o) (eci(e to chec& it o)t<.
/ith Google Goice Search
0http://la,s1.google.com/g#s.html<
,
-o) (ial the Goice Search pho%e
%)m,er, spea& -o)r &e-wor(s, a%(
the% clic& o% the i%(icate( li%&.
+#er- time -o) sa- a %ew search
term, the res)lts page will reresh
with -o)r %ew 6)er- 0-o) m)st
ha#e Ca#aScript e%a,le( or this to
wor&<. 'emem,er, this ser#ice is
still i% a% experime%tal phase, so
(o%2t expect 100 perce%t s)ccess.
7% 2002, Google release( the
Google "F7 0applicatio%
programmi%g i%terace<, a wa- or
programmers to access Google2s
search e%gi%e res)lts witho)t
#iolati%g the Google 5erms o
Ser#ice. " lot o people ha#e
create( )se)l 0a%( occasio%all-
%ot*so*)se)l ,)t i%teresti%g<
applicatio%s %ot a#aila,le rom
Google itsel, s)ch as Google "lert.
=or ma%- applicatio%s, -o)2ll %ee(
a% "F7 &e-, which is a#aila,le ree
rom
EA3+
www.google.com/apis
. See the ig)res or two more
examples, a%( #isit
www.pcmag.com/sol)tio%s
or more.
5ha%&s to its ma%- (iere%t search
properties, Google goes ar ,e-o%(
a reg)lar search e%gi%e. Gi#e the
tric&s i% this article a tr-. Bo)2ll ,e
amaDe( at how ma%- (iere%t
wa-s Google ca% impro#e -o)r
7%ter%et searchi%g.
A%li%e +xtra: ;ore Google 5ips
9ere are a ew more cle#er wa-s to
twea& -o)r Google searches.
Search /ithi% a 5imerame
3atera%ge: 0start (ateHe%( (ate<.
Bo) ca% restrict -o)r searches to
pages that were i%(exe( withi% a
certai% time perio(. 3atera%ge:
searches ,- whe% Google i%(exe(
a page, %ot whe% the page itsel
was create(. 5his operator ca%
help -o) e%s)re that res)lts will
ha#e resh co%te%t 0,- )si%g
rece%t (ates<, or -o) ca% )se it to
a#oi( a topic2s c)rre%t*%ews
,liDDar( a%( co%ce%trate o%l- o%
ol(er res)lts. 3atera%ge: is
act)all- more )se)l i -o) go
elsewhere to ta&e a(#a%tage o it,
,eca)se (atera%ge: re6)ires C)lia%
(ates, %ot sta%(ar( Gregoria%
(ates. Bo) ca% i%( co%#erters o%
the /e, 0s)ch as
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http://aa.)s%o.%a#-.mil/(ata/(ocs/
C)lia%3ate.html
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<, ,)t a% easier wa- is to (o a
Google (atera%ge: search ,- illi%g
i% a orm at
www.research,)DD.com/tool,ox/go
oresh.shtml or
www.aga%i%(er.com/e%gi%es/goo
gle.shtml
. 7 o%e special s-%tax eleme%t is
goo(, two m)st ,e ,etter, right4
Sometimes. 5ho)gh some
operators ca%2t ,e mixe( 0-o) ca%2t
)se the li%&: operator with
a%-thi%g else< ma%- ca% ,e,
6)ic&l- %arrowi%g -o)r res)lts to a
less o#erwhelmi%g %)m,er.
;ore Google "F7 "pplicatio%s
Stagger%atio%.com oers three
tools ,ase( o% the Google "F7. 5he
Google "F7 /e, Search ,- 9ost
0G"/S9< lists the /e, hosts o the
res)lts or a gi#e% 6)er-
0www.stagger%atio%.com/gawsh/<.
/he% -o) clic& o% the tria%gle %ext
to each host, -o) get a list o
res)lts or that host. 5he Google
"F7 'elatio% 1rowsi%g A)tli%er
0G"'1A< is a little more
complicate(: Bo) e%ter a 8'$ a%(
choose whether -o) wa%t pages
that relate( to the 8'$ or li%&e( to
the 8'$
0www.stagger%atio%.com/gar,o/<.
Elic& o% the tria%gle %ext to a% 8'$
to get a list o pages li%&e( or
relate( to that partic)lar 8'$.
Eape;ail is a% e*mail search
applicatio% that allows -o) to se%(
a% e*mail to
googleIcapeclear.com with the
text o -o)r 6)er- i% the s),.ect
li%e a%( get the irst te% res)lts or
that 6)er- ,ac&. ;a-,e it2s %ot
somethi%g -o)2( (o e#er- (a-, ,)t
i -o)r cell pho%e (oes e*mail a%(
(oes%2t (o /e, ,rowsi%g, this is a
#er- ha%(- a((ress to &%ow.