8 Google Tips and Tricks if You Want To Be a Search Pro

8 Google Tips and Tricks if You Want To Be a Search Pro

Everybody knows how to use Google, the most popular search engine in the world, but are you making use of the extra features, tricks and secrets available?

Here are eight tips and tricks you can add to your Google search to filter through the internet and find what you’re after.

Quick calculations and conversions

Google has deep support for doing quick calculations and conversions. in the search bar, if you type a small equation (like 69 + 420), you’ll get a result almost instantly in the bar.

Moreover, if you search for currency conversions (for example, “100 USD to AUD”), Google provides an up-to-date conversion. If you’re searching for a quick time conversion (for example, “10am PST to AEST”), you’ll get a quick answer.

Using the ‘tools’ tab

If you’re after specific results, with limitations on the time posted, then click on “tools”, below the search bar. This way, you’ll be able to limit search results within the past hour, day, week, month, year or any custom range you’re after. You can also change your search style to “verbatim”, which removes autocorrections.

Search text prompts

These features are incredibly handy. In case you want to specifically filter through Google’s results, try using these (with examples available):

  • To convey a range in results (like with prices and dates), put two full stops between the numbers. This looks like: Google Pixel $500..$1000
  • To filter results so that they come specifically from a single site, use this query prompt: small phones site:gizmodo.com.au
  • If you’d like to exclude a result from your search, use a dash. For example: Rick and Morty -Netflix
  • If you’d like to include synonyms in your search, try using a tilde. For example: Rubix Cube ~solutions
  • If you’d like results to include a specifc set of words, use quotation marks like this: “RTX 3060 12GB” review
  • You can also find sites that link specifically to other URLs. For example: link:http://interdimensionalcable.io/

Transparent images

If graphic design is your passion and you don’t want to make an image transparent yourself, you can filter Google Image results to only include transparent images. Go to Google Images, click Tools, Colour and then “Transparent”. Just be aware of image usage rights.

Reverse image searching

You’ve probably noticed that colourful camera inside of the Google search bar. That’s the “Google Lens” camera, which lets you search the internet using an image. Just click it and upload the image that you’d like to search with. You’ll be given results for similar-looking images.

google search tricks
We used Carby as our example. Screenshot: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia

Google Maps intergration

If you’re after results pertaining to a location, such as if you search “local hospitals” or “cafes near me”, you’ll get Google Maps results popping up (although you’ll need to share your location with Google for accurate results). This includes links to websites, reviews and photos of the venue and products available.

Google timewasters

Search ‘Google Pacman’ and you’ll be prompted with an inbuilt PAC-MAN game built specifically for search. This is cool, but it’s also not alone.

Under the PAC-MAN game, click the downwards pointing arrow and you’ll be prompted with several games, toys and tools. Some of these are terrific time wasters, while others would easily keep a toddler entertained and some are generally useful for specific things. This includes:

  • Games and toys: Tic Tac Toe, Earth Day Quiz, Solitaire, Minesweeper, Memory Game, Snake, Spin a dreidel, Fun facts and Animal sounds
  • Tools: Meditate, Roll a die, Calculator, Spinner, Colour picker, Metronome, Tuner and Flip a coin

You can search for any of these in the search bar and be prompted with the integrated Google tool or game, not just PAC-MAN.

‘I’m feeling lucky’

This is more of an honourable mention, but it’s really cool that Google has this available.

While the “I’m feeling lucky” button below the Google search bar on google.com navigates you to the first result you’d receive by searching for it normally (just without result page generation), clicking the I’m feeling lucky button with nothing typed into the search bar takes you to the Google Doodles archive.

Here you can view all the Google Doodles the search giant has used previously, including animated and interactive ones (like this year’s terrific Halloween game doodle).

That’s about it on Google tips and tricks

Google has some terrific tips and tricks, but for now, these are the best ones that you should know about.


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