Search Engine Optimization: Search Tips That Will Improve Your Google Search Results

This post was written by Internet Marketing John on November 13, 2010
Posted Under: Search Engine Optimization

googleSome search tips that will improve your Google search results, can also have a positive affect on your Search Engine Optimization efforts.

Because Search Engine Optimization revolves entirely around what people are searching for on Google’s search engine, the more targeted and refined you make your keywords, the more effective your search engine optimization efforts will be.

When you know how the people you are targeting perform their Google searches, you can get a better understanding of what they actually want.

The majority of people, unless they are techno geeks, use Google without any of it’s search refinements.  They simply type in a keyword or keyword phrase and page through the search results to eventually find what they are looking for.

Most of the Search Engine Optimization done by Internet Marketers correctly relies on these types of basic searches.

However, if you as a Google user would like to refine your searches; here are a few  search tips that will improve your Google search results.

Specific Phrases (“”) or (+)

To search for an exact phrase when using Google; enclose the search phrase in double quotes or attach an + immediately before the word or phrase.

When you add this to your search, you are telling Google to match that word or phrase precisely as you typed it.

For example, [“internet marketing information”] or [+six pack abs] will provide those exact phrases in the search results.

Searching For Specific Phrases On Specific Web Sites (site:)

When users want to search a specific website for content that matches an exact phrase, they can use this modifier;  [“(your specific phrase)” site:(your specific website)]

For example: [ “six pack abs” site:www.stomach-exercises.bestcbtopsites.com ]

Excluding Words From Your Search (-)

You can use the “-” sign immediately in front of the word or phrase you want to exclude when doing your search.  For example, if you wanted to search for Roman Emperors but wanted to exclude any reference to Nero, you would use this query.  [Roman Emperors -Nero]  Note that there is no space between the “-” and the term Nero.

Searching For Specific Types Of Documents (filetype:)

If you are looking for a specific type of document in your search results, you can use the ‘filetype’ modifier in your search query.  Lets say you are specifically looking for a .pdf file on “explosive backlinks”.

Your search query would look like this: [“explosive backlinks” filetype:pdf]

This OR That Operator (OR) or (|)

When you do a search, Google by default includes all the terms specified in the search.  If you are looking for any one of one or more terms to match; you can use the (OR) operator in your search query or the (|) symbol.

For instance, if you are searching for ancient roman coins of Augustus and Titus, just use the query; [roman coins of Augustus OR Titus]

The OR must be capitalized for this to work.

[ Baltimore Colts 1968 OR 1969 ] will give you results about either one of these years, whereas [ Baltimore Colts 1968 1969 ] will show pages that include both years on the same page.

You can substitute the | symbol for OR if you choose.

Area Code Lookups

Although this one has nothing to do with Search Engine Optimization, you may occasionally need to know where an area code for a telephone number is from.

Just enter the three digit area code into the search box along with “area code” and Google will give you plenty of information on it’s location.

Synonyms And Similar Words (~)

If you want to include results that contain similar words or synonyms in your search, just use the “~” operator in your search query.

For example, [ancient uncleaned coins ~cleaning methods]

Make sure the symbol immediately precedes the search query, do not leave spaces.

Filling In The Blanks (*)

The star (*), or wild card is a little known feature that can be a very powerful search aid.   When you include * within a query; Google treats the star as a placeholder for any unknown term or terms and then finds the best matches.

The * operator works on whole words only; it does not work on only parts of words.

For example, the search  query; [Obama voted * on the * bill], will give you content about different votes on different bills.

[ Yahoo * ] will give you many pages of results about Yahoo’s products.

Word Definitions (define:)

Instead of looking up the definition of a word or phrase in the dictionary, use the [ define: ] command.

For instance [ define:redundant ] will give you tons of definitions of redundant on the Web.

Stock Lookups

Google will give you the current financials and a chart for any valid ticker symbol you use as your search term.

Use Google As A Calculator

The next time you don’t feel like pulling up your calculator from your desktop, just plug the numbers into Google.  Type in your expression and hit enter for your answer.

Not all of the search tips that will improve your Google search results will have a direct effect on your search engine optimization efforts; however, all these tips are useful and will provide you with a better search engine result.

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