Google Search Operators are a handy tool for anyone carrying out any SEO research. Running a Google search can leave you with an overwhelming number of results. There are an estimated 56.5 billion pages that Google Search knows of, narrowing that down to what you need is a priceless ability and real skill.
Using Google Search Operators you can do a more specific search that focuses on the specific keywords that you are looking for.
What are Google search operators?
Put simply, they are a combination of words and symbols that you can use to improve your search results. They allow you to use Google to its full search capability to find the information you are actually looking for.
How do I use Search Operators?
The process is identical to an ordinary Google search. However, you need to include the specific search operator that you want to use. The more you use the more specific your search results will be and the quicker you can find the appropriate information you are looking for.
It’s important to know that the more searches and operators you use, the likelihood of Google suspecting you being a robot increases. All you have to do is tick the box telling Google that you are, indeed, not a robot attempting to spam its platform but instead playing around with some new search operators.
Top 10+ Google search operators
The following are the top ten search operators you should be using to research SEO
Intitle:
This search operator is used to find pages with specific words in the title of the page. To use this search operator you simply type in speech marks what you are looking for in the title of a page. Google then only gives you results that feature what you’re searching for in the title of the page. An example of this would be if you’re trying to find freeze-dried sweets. You could use the search operator:
Inposttitle:
This is extremely useful if you are trying to carry out research for a blog you are writing. This will find blogs with certain search terms in the title. Perfect for when you are in need of inspiration for another topic or are struggling with writer’s block. An example being:
Intext:
This offers a more broad term for a search. It includes pages that have the desired text appear in the area of the web page. This could be as a title, header, in a paragraph and elsewhere. An example being:
Inurl:
This can be used to find pages that contain a certain words in the URL. For example:
Filetype:
This type google search operators resutrict search results to the specific file type you typ – e.g PDF, DOCX, TXT, PPT, etc.
Define:
This is perfect for when you have a word that you need to find the meaning of. Simply copy and paste the word after your search operator to be supplied with a clear definition of the word and search results that are appropriate. An example would be SEO
@ / #
This search operator restricts the search results to social media. This is a useful option when you’re trying to find a specific trend or page. You can also use the # to search hashtags on Google with the same effect. An example of this would be if you were trying to find our Facebook page:
Quotation Marks (“your search”)
This search operator will help you find results that are an exact match. With a normal Google search, you will be given pages of results that are to do with the phrase you used. Using quotation marks you are given results that are an exact match. An example would be if you are trying to find First painting by Picasso:
OR
This search operator is useful when you are trying to search for pages that have one word or the other. An example is if you were looking for a certain type of art but not both:
digital drawing OR digital painting
Related:
This gives you the opportunity to search for additional sites that are related to the site you originally found. Say you were attempting to carry out some competitor research, searching for sites that are related to the URL you enter, it will give you appropriate results.
Cache:
The Cache search operator can be used to find the most recent cache of a specific webpage. This is useful when you need to identify when a page was last crawled or if a site is down and you still want to read something on it.
Summary
Being able to refine your results page with Google search operators to give you exactly what you’re looking for is an extremely useful skill to master. It can save you heaps of time trying to find a specific page or detailed information
As of 2016 there were over 130 trillion individual pages on the web, so narrowing that down as best you can only makes like easier.
Get in Contact
Here at Sokada, we design websites that enhance SEO and improve the user experience. However, from the looks of things we seem to be in the minority. It seems like every website these days is packed with unwanted, wordy information that distracts you from the main reason you clicked and makes the page slower to load.
If you’re interested in having a bespoke website that will focus on appealing to the user expereince, then get in contact with us on 01435 817 226 or drop us an email at enquiries@sokada.co.uk. Alternatively fill out our short contact form here.