Let’s face it, Google is the go-to search engine for most people around the world. With billions of pages of information available at your fingertips, it’s no wonder why we spend an average of four hours per week on Google searches. However, if you feel like you’re not getting the most out of your search engines or you find yourself scrolling through pages of listings to find what you’re looking for, then you’ll find these seven little-known Google search tips extremely useful.

1. Use the Exact Phrase

When you’re looking for something specific, using the exact phrase in your search is crucial. To do this, simply place quotation marks (“___”) around your search term. For example, if you want to find out Tom Cruise’s height, type in “Tom Cruise height” into the Google search bar. This will immediately return articles or websites that contain that specific phrase.

2. Exclude Terms with Minus Symbol

If your search for “Top Gun” brings up many articles mentioning Tom Cruise, you could trim down the list by excluding the word “Cruise”. To do this, you can use the minus symbol before the word you want to exclude. Your search would look like this: “Top Gun” -Cruise.

3. Use the Asterisk for Missing Words or Variants

The asterisk (*) can be helpful in Google searches in two ways. Firstly, it can help Google find a missing word in a quote or phrase. Search for “Whether you *that you can, or that you can’t, you are usually right” to discover the missing word and author of the quote. Secondly, it can help you search for all variants of a word. For instance, search for “inst*” to find results containing words like “instagram”, “institute” or “instructure”.

4. Make “OR” Your Search Friend

When you’re unsure of the best search term or you’d like to do multiple searches at the same time, use the “OR” function. For example, search for “Batman or Thor” to return results for both Batman and Thor.

5. Use Synonym Searches

If you can’t quite remember the exact name of an establishment or website, try a synonym search. Type in the name you do remember followed by a tilde (~) and the word you’re not sure about. For example, if you’re looking for Cafe Days in Haledon, New Jersey, type in “Cafe Days Haledon ~Daze” to find your answer.

6. Search Between Two Values

This search tip is handy if you want to find a list of presidents or other information between certain years. Type in the search phrase, for example, “U.S. presidents 1950..2000” to return results showing all the U.S. presidents that served between 1950 and 2000.

7. Bring Up Related Sites

If you love a particular website and would like to find other similar websites, use the “related:” function. For instance, search for “related:nationalgeographic.com” to find websites similar to National Geographic.

By following these tips, you’ll become a rapid-fire Google searcher, saving you valuable time and energy on your searches. Moreover, you’ll have a newfound relationship with the internet, where you’ll become a confident and masterful commander of information.

However, while these tips may help you get fast and accurate results on Google, it’s always necessary to be cautious of the results you find. Not all information is accurate, and some websites may be unreliable or even dangerous. Always use your judgment and verify your sources before accepting them as legitimate.

In summary, these seven little-known Google search tips can help you supercharge your online searches, making them more efficient and productive. They’re easy to use, and you don’t need to be a tech-savvy expert to make the most of them. So, what are you waiting for? Start Googling like a pro!