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Google Search Tips & Tricks: Google Search Tips & Tricks

Searching skills is one of the empowering tools for you to locate, identify, refine, and retrieve bunch of information on the Internet. This guide helps you to look up some of the useful tips and tricks when you typing keywords in Google Search Bar.

Exact Phrase Search

Put quotation marks around words "[Searching keywords]" to search for an exact phrase in an exact order.

To see the differences, try searching "to be or not to be" the famous opening phrase of a soliloquy in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet with/without the quotation marks around.

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File Type Search

Try to search for specific types of documents, such as PDF, PPT, by adding filetype: with the file extensions.

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Exclude Terms

Try to exclude some of the terms within your searching by placing the - sign immediately in front of your searching keywords.

For example: renewable energy -nuclear

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Synonyms Terms

Use a tilde (~) before a word to include all of its synonyms.

For example: Star Wars ~Presents

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Google's Cache of a Site

When you get access failure to a site, you can check the Google cached version that accessible in some time by adding cache: with the web link.

For example: cache:www.ust.hk

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All in Title

Try to search websites containing all of the specified words in the title tag.

by adding allintitle: with words or phrases.

For example: allintitle:"digital nomad"

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Search within a Specific Site

Try to search with site: ,If you would like to retrieve results from within a specific domain or type of domain (like rthk.hk .org).

For example: election site:rthk.hk

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Search Within a Range

Use a double period (..) between two numbers to convey ranges. This is handy for pricing, dates and measurements.

For example: Surface Pro buy $5000..$7000

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Get Definitions

Finding the definition of a word, try to put define: in front of your searching keyword.

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Either Terms

Try to search for either meaning OR in between two searching keywords.

For example: location of World EXPO 2015 OR 2020

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Unsure Terms

Speaking of exact words, what if you can’t remember them all? No problem—just use an asterisk (*) in place of the unknown word/s.

For example: “Play * Sam”

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Related Sites

Try to search websites with similar subjects, or categories, by adding related: with the URL.

For example: related:times.com

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Reference Librarian

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Samson Choi
Contact:
2358 6763
Subjects: Environment, Science

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Need help with finding information or doing your research? Ask a Librarian!

WhatsApp 9701-1055
Email lbref@ust.hk
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